A woman was arrested and charged after Odessa police reported she left her 3-year-old child in her vehicle outside a local night club for an hour while she was inside drinking, dancing and taking selfies.
Itzel Vazquez-Barrera, who turned 23 years old Wednesday, was arrested and charged at about 11:01 p.m. Tuesday for abandoning/endangering a child, a state jail felony.
An Odessa Police Department news release stated officers responded to The Lift on Seventh, 1401 E. Seventh St., in reference to a check welfare Tuesday. Dispatch had advised there was a child inside of a white Jeep without adult supervision.
When officers arrived, they found a 3-year-old boy crying in the backseat of a white Jeep Liberty, the release stated. The child’s mother was identified as Vazquez-Barrera.
Investigation revealed Vazquez-Barrera entered the business at about 10:08 p.m. and exited at about 11:09 p.m. Surveillance video showed the woman consuming alcohol, dancing and taking selfies while inside the business, the release stated.
Vazquez-Barrera was charged and arrested and Child Protective Services was notified of the incident. The child was released to a family member, the release stated.
