Crime & Safety

Woman Charged With Child, Animal Abandonment

A Lyons Township woman was charged with child and animal abandonment on Tuesday. Authorities are saying she allegedly left her goddaughter and two dogs alone in the car for more than an hour outside the Skokie Courthouse.

A mother who was scheduled for a court hearing at the Skokie Courthouse was charged with endangerment of a child and animal abandonment on Tuesday. The woman allegedly left her goddaughter in her car with two small dogs, according to the Cook County Sheriff's office.

Joheidi Martinez, 30, of the 4500 block of Lawndale Avenue in Lyons, had her bond set at $6,000 after being charged.

At approximately 10:35 a.m. Tuesday, a Cook County sheriff’s deputy was informed by a concerned citizen that a small child and two dogs were left in a car in the courthouse parking lot for over an hour. Upon investigating, the officer found a female child along with two small dogs in a gold, four-door sedan parked in the parking lot at 5700 Old Orchard Road.

Find out what's happening in La Grangewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The child told the deputy that she was waiting for her godmother, according to the sheriff's office. When located, Martinez said she “didn’t realize how long she was gone and how hot outside it was.”

The child and dogs were not harmed in the incident, police said.

Find out what's happening in La Grangewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Martinez posted bond and her next court date is August 8, 2012 at the Skokie Courthouse.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.