Police said child was alone in vehicle for about 12 minutes in parking lot
A Philadelphia woman is facing felony charges after police said she left an infant unattended in a vehicle outside a Montgomery Township grocery store last month for nearly 15 minutes.
Tamara Nicole Beverly, 30, of the 5800 block of Crittenden Street, is charged with felony endangering the welfare of children and misdemeanor reckless endangerment, according to a criminal complaint filed April 15.
Montgomery Township Police were dispatched around 3:32 p.m. March 11, 2026 to Wegmans on Bethlehem Pike at Montgomery Mall for a report of a suspicious vehicle parked in the expectant mothers and small children area, where a baby had reportedly been left alone inside, according to the affidavit.
Officers located the vehicle, a Hyundai Sonata, with the infant inside. Police said the car was not running, windows were only slightly cracked and outside temperatures were about 75 degrees.
The child was observed asleep in a car seat with limited ventilation in the vehicle, police allege.
Shortly after, Beverly exited the store and told police she had only been inside for a few minutes to get food and use the restroom, acknowledging she knew she should not leave the child unattended, according to the complaint.
However, a review of store surveillance footage showed Beverly entered the store at about 3:26 p.m. and exited at 3:39 p.m., leaving the child alone in the vehicle for about 12 minutes, police said.
Investigators noted there was no apparent urgency in her actions while inside the store, per the complaint.
Beverly is free on $10,000 unsecured bail ahead of an April 28 preliminary hearing.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
