Woman Arrested For Abandoning 7-Year-Old at Mall

A Lawrence, MA woman was charged with child endangerment Friday for leaving her 7-year-old nephew alone for 4 hours at the Mall at Rockingham Park.

At 12:21 p.m. Friday, Salem Police were dispatched to the Mall at Rockingham Park for a report of a 7 year-old Hispanic boy who had been located wandering around the Microsoft store alone since 10:12 a.m. Mall security had attempted to locate the child’s parents/guardians without success.

Upon arrival, numerous Salem officers and detectives canvassed the mall, interviewed witnesses and reviewed video. At approximately 2:15 p.m., police received a surveillance video from the Microsoft store of a Hispanic female who was with the child at 10:27 a.m. outside the Microsoft store. The still photo from the video depicted the female as wearing a red sweater and T-shirt with an American flag on it.

Shortly after reviewing the photo, officers observed the woman walking by the Microsoft store. She was stopped and identified as the child’s aunt/guardian, Ana Matos, 45, of Lawrence, MA. Matos was informed by officers that her 7-year-old nephew had been left unattended in the mall for approximately 4 hours. Matos stated she was looking for her nephew, but she was observed carrying three shopping bags containing more than $500 in clothing, which police said was an indication she was shopping and not looking for the lost child.

Matos acknowledged she left her nephew by the Microsoft store and had been looking for him. When asked why she did not notify mall security or Salem Police in reference to her lost nephew, she had no answer. She was subsequently arrested for endangering the welfare of a child.

Matos was released on a summons. She will be arraigned at the 10th Circuit Court – Salem Division on Sept. 30.