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Suburban Mom Arrested For Child Endangerment

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Dec 13, 2007 5:15 pm US/Central

Suburban Mom Arrested For Child Endangerment

Woman Says Her Daughter Was Never Neglected Or In Danger, Is Fighting Charges

Reporting
Pamela Jones

CRESTWOOD, Ill. (CBS) ―

Click to enlarge 1 of 1: Ellen Coyne was arrested for child endangerment when she left her 2-year-old daughter, Phoebe, in her parked car. Coyne says Phoebe was never in danger.
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A south suburban mother was arrested on charges of child endangerment after leaving her baby in a car.

As CBS 2's Pamela Jones reports, Ellen "Treffly" Coyne says she took her children and one of their friends to donate a little more than $8 in change to the Salvation Army at a Wal-Mart store on Saturday.

Coyne says she left her youngest daughter, 2-year-old Phoebe, locked in her parked car a few feet away while she snapped a couple of photos.

"She was never in danger," Coyne siad. "She was never neglected or anything like that."

It started as a lesson in giving. But seconds later, she says an officer turned pride turned into embarrassment and fear.

Coyne says she was handcuffed and put into a squad car by Crestwood Police, with no one watching the older children.

"They were never in police custody," Coyne said. "So this whole thing, the only time that my family was in danger was when the Crestwood Police Department decided to split us up."

The Crestwood police chief says the department isn't commenting on the case, and that he cannot provide a copy of the police report because the case is still open.

Coyne says she received a summons to appear in court in January, but she's hoping for an apology from the police department, and also for her record to be cleared.

Under Illinois state law, parents who leave children in a car unsupervised for 10 minutes or more can be charged with child endangerment.

Coyne says her attorney is requesting a copy of the store surveillance tape to check out the time frame.

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