Woman Arrested After Stealing Vehicle, Child Inside, On Christmas: PD

RIVERHEAD, NY — A Riverhead woman was arrested and charged with stealing a running vehicle with a sleeping child inside on Christmas Day, police said.

According to Riverhead Town police, the car was stolen from Riverhead with a 7-year-old asleep in the backseat and the vehicle unlocked and running, police said.

According to Riverhead Town police, the incident took place on Monday at 11:09 p.m. A 39-year-old Selden mother — whose name is being withheld to protect the identity of her child — parked her 2016 Ford Fusion in a space outside a stationery store on East Main Street while she went into the shop, leaving her child inside.

The woman said she left the vehicle running, unattended, with the heat on because she had the child asleep in the back, police said. While she was in the store, someone entered the vehicle and drove off with the child, police said. The thief fled the area prior to police arrival, authorities said.

A Suffolk County Police K-9 unit responded and conducted a search of the area, but did not immediately locate the person responsible, authorities said.

After an extensive search by the Riverhead Town Police Department, Southampton Town Police Department and the New York State Troopers, the vehicle was located in Flanders with the child still sleeping and unharmed, police said.

Detectives determined that Shawanna A. James, 51, a woman without a known address that frequents the Riverhead area, stole the vehicle, police said.

On Thursday at about 2:45 p.m., James was arrested in the area of Zion Street in Riverhead and charged with third-degree grand larceny; third-degree criminal possession of stolen property; and endangering the welfare of a child, police said.

James was processed and held for morning arraignment at Riverhead Justice Court, police said.

The 39 -year- old mother was arrested and charged with endangering the welfare of a child, police said.

The child was turned over to a family member, unharmed, police said.