Arrest made in stolen car left running with child in backseat

A woman accused of stealing a 2016 Ford Fusion on Christmas Day — with a sleeping 7-year-old child in the backseat — was arrested Thursday afternoon in Riverhead, authorities said.

Shawanna A. James, 51, was charged with third-degree grand larceny, third-degree criminal possession of stolen property and endangering the welfare of a child. She will be held overnight and is expected to be arraigned Friday morning in Riverhead Justice Court. Riverhead police said James is homeless.

A 39-year-old Selden woman told police she parked the Fusion in front of Riverhead Stationery on Main Street on Monday, leaving the car running with the heat on because her child was sleeping in the backseat.

While the woman was in the store, police said a person entered the car and drove off with the child. Riverhead, Southampton and New York State Police conducted a search and found the Fusion in Flanders. The 7-year-old was sleeping, unharmed, in the backseat.

The Selden woman was charged with endangering the welfare of a child for leaving the child in an unlocked, running vehicle. Her name was not released to protect the identity of the child. She was issued a desk ticket and ordered to appear in Riverhead Justice Court on Jan. 8.