The New York City Police Department have arrested the mother of a 4-year-old girl who was found abandoned on a street corner after midnight
Sadeekah Abdul Salaam, 32, has been charged with reckless endangerment, endangering the welfare of a child, and abandonment of a child, the NYPD told TODAY Parents in an email on Wednesday. This remains an active investigation.
The child, who told authorities that her name is Sidaya, was discovered in the South Bronx neighborhood of New York City on Saturday, according to a press release. She was dressed in a blue sweater, blue sweatpants and rain boots but did not have a jacket.
Surveillance video released by the NYPD on Twitter, showed Sidaya trailing behind an female, 10 minutes before she was found by police.
Sidaya was taken to a local hospital “and released in good physical health” to the care of the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS).
ACS said it was working alongside the NYPD to learn more about Sidaya and to locate her family.
“The safety and well-being of New York City’s children is our top priority,” Christopher Rucas, press secretary for ACS, told TODAY Parents in a statement on Tuesday. “We are investigating this incident with the NYPD.”
Anyone with information about Sidaya or the woman in the surveillance video is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-8477. The public can also submit tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website or on Twitter @NYPDTips. All calls are anonymous.
This story has been updated.