Austin woman facing charges after her son was found in a vehicle Monday afternoon

An Austin woman is facing charges in Mower County District Court after it was determined that her son, who was found in her vehicle Monday afternoon had been there for approximately 7 ½ hours.  

Garcia

Chief of Police Dave McKichan reported that officers responded to a call just before 2:00 p.m. Monday afternoon concerning a child in a vehicle in the Hormel Foods plant parking lot. Employees called authorities after spotting the 4-year-old male, who was the son of an employee that had clocked in at 6:30 a.m.

Police made contact with the boy’s mother, 27-year old Liliana Garcia, who told officers that she normally dropped her son off at a babysitter. She went on to state that she thought she had dropped him off, then wondered if she had at about 9:30 a.m. or 10:00 a.m.  Chief McKichan stated that she mentioned it to a friend, but did not follow up with the babysitter.

Authorities believe the child was in the vehicle the entire time. The child was unharmed.  

Garcia was arrested after police learned she had a warrant for failure to appear in court on a driving after revocation charge.

McKichan stated that Garcia could face additional charges in the case, including a gross misdemeanor for child endangerment.  The case has been submitted to the Mower County Attorney’s Office for review.