46-year-old Lauren Tracy lives in Mammoth Lakes. She has a 5-year-old child.
It was reported that at some point over the weekend, Tracy stepped out and left her child by themselves.
Around 7:00 pm, a babysitter hired through a service showed up at the vacation home and figured she would meet with the mother of the child who would be left in her care.
When the woman went inside, she allegedly noticed a firearm with ammo in the kitchen and a second gun in the bedroom. The weapons were allegedly within reach of the youngster. The babysitter also believed that the child was left without food.
The sitter called the authorities to report the situation, and officers with the Santa Barbara Police Department went to the residence.
After an initial investigation, the police reported that they believed the child was left by themself for at least 24 hours. The officers also asserted that no food was left for the youngster.
The police did not know where Tracy was, so they began a search for her.
Someone informed the authorities that they thought Tracy’s new SUV was parked on a residential street.
When the police found Tracy, the woman was allegedly intoxicated.
Tracy was taken into custody and booked into the Santa Barbara County Jail. She is facing several felony charges, including child endangerment, child neglect, possession of undetectable ghost guns, possession of a firearm with a prior misdemeanor conviction, unlawful possession of ammunition, and criminal storage of a firearm. Her bail was set at $100,000.
The youngster was placed in the care of Child Protective Services since no relatives live nearby, and Tracy was cited and released over the weekend.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a criminal offense, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.