Leanne Sanchez was charged with child cruelty.
CONWAY, SC -- Conway police charged Leanne Marie Lee Sanchez, 23, of Conway with Cruelty to Children.
Police say she left children, ranging in age from two to five, in an unlocked Ford Expedition Tuesday at Coastal Center, a shopping complex on Church Street.
They say the windows were rolled down, but the children were sweating profusely.
Police say they approached Sanchez as she left the Citi Trends store. Police say Sanchez told them she didn't see anything wrong with leaving the children alone in the SUV because she was only gone for a minute. But Citi Trends employees said Sanchez was inside the store for about thirty minutes.
Police learned Sanchez is the mother of one of the children and she was babysitting the other two.
The children were released to their guardians and Sanchez's child was released to her mother.
Sanchez appeared before Judge Andy Hendrick on Wednesday and received a $1,100 surety bond. She's scheduled to appear in court at 9 a.m. on April 27.
