Richmond Hill mother jailed for abandoning baby

A 22-year-old Richmond Hill mother has been sentenced to two years in jail after she left her 14-month-old daughter alone in her crib for three days.

York Region police said officers were called to a Weldrick Road East apartment complex on Nov. 13, 2005 by the building manager, who had found the dehydrated infant.

Other tenants said they had heard a CD playing over and over for three days in the home. The manager knocked on the door, but no one answered. She then opened the door and found the toddler in her crib.

Police said the baby was wearing a heavily soiled diaper and there were four empty bottles in the crib. Cookies had also been left for the infant.

The child was treated at hospital and released into the care of the Children's Aid Society.

When the mother showed up at the home, she lied and said a former acquaintance had abandoned the girl, police said.

The mother, who name is not being released because the case involves the CAS, was arrested on Jan. 24, 2006.

She was convicted last Friday of child abandonment, criminal negligence causing bodily harm, failure to provide the necessities of life, public mischief and breach of probation.

The child remains a ward of the CAS.