Parents Charged With Cruelty To A Child After Leaving Toddler In Car To Go Skiing

The parents of a two-year-old were arrested after they left their child inside a locked car while they went skiing.

On February 8, the Killington Police Department responded to a report of a child left in a parked car at the Killington Resort.

Details of the case were shared on Facebook by the police department.

The post notes how Michael Hoffman, a patrol officer, found the car driving on the East Mountain Road and stopped Katelynn Brent and Cory Ahern after receiving a tip that the two-year-old had been left alone in a parking lot.

Upon stopping the car, Hoffman suspected Brent of driving while intoxicated and asked her to take a breathalyser test while the child remained in the backseat.

Brent registered at 0.101% blood alcohol content — anything more than 0.08% is considered legally drunk in Vermont.

Brent and Ahern initially denied allegations that they had left their child unattended and Brent was 'released with a citation to appear in court at a later date'.

Investigations into the couple found that they were both employees of Killington Resort and had been given ski passes through work.

It was then found that the pair had 'accessed loading lift gates 10 times' during the day in question.

Following this, Killington Police said, the parents 'admitted their involvement in leaving their child alone in their vehicle while skiing'.

Both Brent and Ahern said that they 'checked on the child immediately' after they had completed each run.

Brent has since been charged with driving under the influence and cruelty to a child.

Ahern has been charged with cruelty to a child.

Killington Resort (Alamy)

The pair are due to appear in court to hear the charges on February 28, as per the Daily Mail.

If convicted, they could fave up to two years in prison and a $500 fine.

People on Facebook were quick to respond to the post, with one user saying, 'Please tell me this child is no longer in their care.'

Another added, 'Wow, such a young child too. Was vehicle running? Heated? Almost even worse. Idk what's worse. Being cold or being left in a running car at that point. I pray this baby has been removed from their care.'

One commenter shared a previous police report suggesting that this wasn't Brent's first offence for endangering a child.

The comment read, 'Not first time endangering child. March 5, 2020: 095/089: Arrested Katelynn M. Brent for Endangering the Welfare of a child, Criminal Mischief 4th, and Harassment 2nd.'

The Vermont Department of Children and Families and New York State Department of Child Protective Services have been notified about the case.

If you have a story you want to tell, send it to UNILAD via [email protected]