Mother Appears In Court After Son, 2, Found Wandering In Cold

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – A woman appeared in court Wednesday after her 2-year-old son was found wandering in the Ross Park Mall parking lot earlier this month.

Kimberly Holinda, 37, of New Brighton, was in court for a preliminary hearing Wednesday morning after she was arrested following the incident on Jan. 7.

According to police, a security guard found the child wandering around 9:45 p.m. when the temperature was just 2 degrees with a wind chill of minus-9.

At the time, the child was only wearing blue jeans with a light weather jacket. Police also learned that he had been previously found wandering alone inside the mall for a period of time before being reunited with his mother.

"I don't think it was good parenting to have a child out at this time of night to begin with. Let alone, dressed in the manner he was," said Sgt. Benjamin Dripps, of Ross Township Police. "There was nothing in that conversation that led us to believe it was anything other than neglect."

Holinda was initially charged with endangering the welfare of a child. However, a judge reduced the charge from a felony to a misdemeanor today.

Holinda briefly spoke as she was led out of court.

"I was parked at Nordstrom and I left him with a security guard," she said. "There's no way they could take him when he was with me. Peace, love and happiness."

She will now head to trial on the reduced charge.

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