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Police Find 1-Year-Old Home Alone, While Grandmother Out Drinking

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) –She was supposed to be babysitting her 1-year-old granddaughter, but police say this grandma had other plans.

Stacey Shannon, 51, told police she was drinking with a male friend when this scenario began to unfold.

She had been babysitting since Wednesday, but when the child's mother could not reach Shannon Thursday, she got worried about her mother's whereabouts and called police just after 10 p.m.

Zone 2 Commander Eric Holmes says officers were able to get inside the uptown apartment on Colwell Street when another relative brought them a key around 1 a.m.

"They did a check of the residence and found the 1-year-old sleeping on the couch," said Holmes.

About 15 minutes later, Shannon returned home. She told police she was sitting on a wall on Fifth Avenue drinking with a friend and did now remember how long she had been drinking.

"Apparently it was for a substantial period of time, leaving the 1-year-old alone," Holmes said.
Shannon also told police she had given the child pizza and pop earlier in the day.

Ironically, when she saw police activity around her apartment building – the cars and flashing lights – and she noticed the kitchen light was on in her second floor apartment, she told her friend, "they must be here for me."

She was right.

CYF was notified and the baby was taken to its mother in McKees Rocks.

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