Police: Woman left children alone - Los Angeles Times
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Police: Woman left children alone

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A Costa Mesa woman was under arrest Wednesday on suspicion of child neglect after police said they found one of her children wandering the streets in the middle of the night looking for her.

Police are trying to determine where Jessica Zepeda, 27, was Tuesday night and Wednesday morning after they found her 4-year-old son wandering near Wilson and Maple streets at 12:45 a.m., apparently looking for his mother, Sgt. Bryan Glass said.

Zepeda told police she was out looking for her son, said Sgt. Bob Phillips.

Police estimate her three children — two boys, ages 4 and 9, and a 10-year-old girl – were alone for at least 13 hours. The youngest woke up and couldn’t find his mom so he went out looking for her, Glass said. An officer in the area found the boy, who directed the officer to his uncle’s house nearby. The uncle told police where Zepeda lived, and when they went there they found her other son and daughter alone and the front door unlocked, Glass said.

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Zepeda arrived home about 10:20 a.m. Wednesday and after talking to officers, was arrested, police said. The children are staying with family for the time being, Glass said.


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