A 23-year-old mother is behind bars after being accused of leaving 5-year-old girl in her car while she went to a Harlingen night club.
"Her intoxicated state, even if she had left the bar, it could have been even more tragic," Harlingen Police Officer Dave Osborne told Action 4 News.
Harlingen police arrested Frances Marie Saucedo on an child abandonment/endangerment charge overnight.
Action 4 News Facebook followers pointed us to Frances Marie Saucedo, pictured with a young girl on the social networking site, matching the description of the 5-year-old who Police say was abandoned.
"Thanks to patrons of the bar, the child was kept safe," said Osborne.
Witnesses called police after seeing the little girl left alone inside car just after midnight in the parking lot of Medusa's Lounge, just off the 2200 block of South Business 77.
"The officers stayed with the child, tried to comfort the child, visibly shaken crying, wanted its mother,” Officer Osbourne said.
Saucedo’s Facebook page identifies the woman as a home health care provider but some might say she dropped the ball, leaving her daughter in the hands of police, left to comfort her in the middle of the night.
"The officer even gave the child his flash light,” Officer Osbourne said.
Saucedo left a post back on March 8th about a previous trip to the same bar writing, "…gun hit up Medusa's in a bit, hopefully it'll b uh drama free night."
Tuesday night it was anything but drama free, with the woman leaving in handcuffs and her little girl now under the care of family friends.
Saucedo remains custody at the Harlingen City Jail where she’s expected to face a judge on Thursday morning.
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