Mother arrested for robbery after abandoning her four children while her six-year-old son wandered a Queens parking lot alone.

A 6-year-old boy was found wandering alone in a parking lot in Far Rockaway, Queens, prompting an investigation that uncovered troubling circumstances regarding his care. The child was discovered barefoot and disoriented early Tuesday morning by Lidia Rojas, a 46-year-old employee at a nearby laundromat. Rojas, who arrived for work at approximately 5:40 a.m., immediately recognized the child’s distress and brought him inside the store, offering water while she contacted the police.

Authorities quickly responded to the scene and released a photograph of the child, initially estimating his age to be around five years. A thorough investigation, including a review of surveillance footage, revealed that the boy had walked several blocks to reach the laundromat. Police received a tip that led to the identification of the child’s mother, Leshea Harris, a 30-year-old from Brooklyn.

Harris had allegedly left not only the 6-year-old but also three other children, aged between 4 and 10 years, unattended in their apartment. The police later apprehended Harris and another woman in connection with a separate incident involving a push-in robbery that occurred the same night. During this robbery in East New York, Brooklyn, the pair reportedly pepper-sprayed the tenant and threatened them with a stun gun, making off with approximately worth of clothing.

In light of these events, Harris faces multiple legal challenges, including four counts of endangering the welfare of a child, as well as charges for burglary, robbery, trespassing, and assault stemming from the earlier robbery incident. After her arraignment in Brooklyn Criminal Court, she was returned to police custody and formally charged with child abandonment in Queens.

Fortunately, the four children were found to be in good health and were not harmed during this ordeal. The Administration for Children’s Services has since intervened and is working diligently to arrange for the children’s placement with a relative or a suitable foster family.

As the situation unfolds, authorities continue to emphasize the importance of child supervision and the urgent need for safe environments for all minors. This distressing incident has raised concerns about child welfare and parental responsibility, drawing attention from local community services and the broader public.

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