The child was found around 11:38 a.m., Thursday, Oct. 12, when a caller dialed 911 and reported that a toddler —later determined to be a 2-year-old boy — was seen alone and barefoot wandering along Lake Drive in the Lake Peekskill section of Putnam Valley, said Capt. William McNamara.
A woman who lives in the neighborhood saw the boy and stayed with him until Sheriff’s deputies responded to the scene, he said.
The deputies could not immediately identify the boy or determine where he lived. Sheriff’s investigators and caseworkers from Child Protective Services were dispatched to the scene to assist in the investigation and to care for the child, McNamara said.
At about 1:17 p.m., the mother of the child was located and identified as Cristina Andrulis, 36, of 110 Lake Drive. According to reports, she told authorities that she had been home with the child, put him down for a nap at about 10:30 a.m., and then went to sleep herself. She said that when she awoke, she realized that he had left the residence and went out to look for him, McNamara added.
An investigation found that Andrulis had acted in a manner that endangered the physical safety of the child. As a result, she was charged with endangering the welfare of a child, and was issued an appearance ticket to appear in court at a later date.
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