A woman who police say abandoned her 2-year-old daughter at a Riverside Food 4 Less was arrested Tuesday night.
Chiengkham Vilaysane, 31, was arrested Tuesday evening, according to ABC 7. She could face a charge of child endangerment, which is a felony.
“There’s more to the story, so we really want to figure out what’s really going on and what help can be provided to her,” Officer Ryan Railsback with the Riverside Police Department told the TV station. “Yes, she could be facing some charges, but more importantly we want to figure out what’s going on with her and how we can help her with that first.”
Police released a video of the incident on Tuesday morning. In the video, the suspect can be seen entering the store with her child on Sunday evening. The toddler than wanders away from her mother who never goes to look for her. The woman continues her shopping until someone brings the little girl to her. Police say the woman told the person to “just leave her.”
The mother then goes to the checkout counter, pays for groceries, and leaves her daughter in the store.
Authorities believe the mother intentionally left her child in the store, according to ABC 7. Police say that the girl identified her mom in surveillance footage.
The little girl was placed in the custody of Child Protective Services.
The Press Enterprise reports that a search of Riverside County Superior Court records turned up no criminal history or civil cases under Vilaysane’s name.
