Jersey City police say mother was drunk and had forgotten location 8-month-old baby

Published: Friday, August 05, 2011, 3:03 AM
By Michaelangelo Conte/The Jersey Journal

Jersey City police arrested an apparently intoxicated woman yesterday after finding her 8-month-old baby alone in a parked car, where he was lying on the floor in the back seat area, officials said.

Sharia Pettiford, 32, of Kensington Avenue, was charged under the child neglect statute at 1 a.m. at Waldo Avenue near Alan Terrace, reports said.

She was with Kevin D. Jackson, 34, of Old Bergen Road, at the time and he was arrested on drug possession charges after police found a ?blunt? and three bags of suspected marijuana in a pack of cigarettes he was carrying, reports said.

Officers responding to the area on a report of a baby alone in a car spotted Pettiford and Jackson, who immediately began walking away in opposite directions, reports said. Jackson was attempting to discard the pack of cigarettes and was arrested when the cops took a look inside, reports said.

Pettiford told police she and Jackson were drinking and had driven to Waldo Avenue to visit a friend, reports said.
Pettiford said she had her baby with her but that she couldn?t remember where he was, reports said.

Jackson told the officers the vehicle was parked about 100 yards away and inside they found the baby had apparently fallen off the back seat and was on the floor, reports said. An ambulance was called.

Police said the Subaru was a mess and the child seat was unsecured, lying on its side, and there was a partially unwrapped chicken sandwich smashed against it, reports said.

Pettiford was charged with abandoning the baby and taken into custody, reports said.

The baby was taken to the Jersey City Medical Center, where he was found to be in good health, reports said. A case worker for the state Division of Youth and Family Services responded to the hospital and took custody of the child, reports said.

Pettiford and Jackson made their first appearance on the charges in Central Judicial Processing court in Jersey City yesterday afternoon before being remanded to Hudson County jail in Kearny.

At the hearing, Judge Richard Nieto noted Pettiford had three outstanding warrants for her arrest out of Jersey City for theft, being drunk in public, and possession of drug paraphernalia, with bails totaling more than $750.
Nieto said Jackson had two warrants for his arrest out of Jersey City for motor vehicle offenses, with bails totaling $450. Jackson?s sister attended the CJP hearing but declined to comment.