MANHEIM TOWNSHIP, LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa.– A Lancaster County man is facing charges after police say he left a 4-year-old child unattended in an unlocked vehicle while he shopped in Manheim Township, according to the criminal complaint.
Adriano Bistel-Cruz, 21, is charged with endangering the welfare of children and possession of marijuana.
Police say the incident happened Wednesday morning in the parking lot of the TJ Maxx located along the 800 block of Plaza Boulevard. A witness called police after seeing the child alone in the vehicle for approximately 10 minutes, according to the criminal complaint.
When police arrived on scene, they discovered there were no car seats inside and an odor of marijuana was coming from the vehicle, according to court documents.
Bistel-Cruz came out of the store and told police he left the child in the vehicle while he shopped, according to the criminal complaint. Bistel-Cruz also admitted there was marijuana inside the vehicle.
Police searched the vehicle and found a small amount of marijuana inside the center console, within easy reach of the child, according to the court documents.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for February 4.
