NEWS

Ridgeland Police: Grandmother arrested for locking child in vehicle

The Clarion-Ledger
ReJohnna B. Mitchell, of New Orleans, was arrested on charges of child neglect and resisting arrest on Sunday.

A grandmother was arrested Sunday night on charges of child neglect and resisting arrest after a toddler was found locked in a vehicle outside of Lowe's Home Improvement, according to the Ridgeland Police Department.

Officers arrested ReJohnna B. Mitchell, 56, of New Orleans, at the Lowe's on County Line Road about 8 p.m. on Sunday. For the child neglect charge, she faces a maximum fine of $500 and up to six months in jail.

In the Lowe's parking lot, officers found the toddler in a 2013 Lincoln MKZ with the engine off and one window rolled down slightly. Ridgeland police, firefighters and a bystander unlocked the vehicle, and first responders cared for the 2-year-old boy before returning him to his mother.

Mitchell told officers she had stopped at Lowe's to use the restroom and shop for plants. The toddler had spent at least five minutes in the vehicle based on the time that passed between a 911 call and his removal from the Lincoln.