Woman who left child in car gets informal probation

Erica D. Johnson

Monday, Oct. 27, 2003 | 9:34 a.m.

The Las Vegas woman who left her child in a car alone when the car was stolen pleaded guilty on Friday to a misdemeanor count after negotiating her case with Clark County prosecutors.

During a hearing in Las Vegas Justice Court, Maria Door Soto pleaded guilty to a single misdemeanor count of contributory negligence and will be placed on an informal probation, said Chief Deputy District Attorney Doug Herndon.

Prosecutors had originally charged Door Soto with a single felony count of child neglect.

As a result of her guilty plea, she was ordered by Justice of the Peace Nancy Oesterle to pay a $500 fine and perform 50 hours of community service. She was also ordered to attend parenting skills classes.

If Door Soto is arrested for any other crime, Herndon said, she could serve the underlying sentence of 60 days in jail. Her probation will be supervised by Las Vegas Justice Court officials.

Door Soto was quiet as she appeared in court with her attorney, Lloyd Baker, and a Spanish-speaking interpreter. Baker said he believed the negotiations were in the best interest of his client.

Door Soto had left her 16-month-old son, Edwin, in the car while she went into a shoe store near Decatur Boulevard and Meadows Lane. The car was stolen with the child inside.

Police discovered the car at a convenience store with the child safe inside about five hours later.

She was one of several parents charged with neglect after a series of cases during the summer in which children were left in cars.

Won Chong, who left his child alone while he ran into a local Starbucks, also faces a felony neglect charge. He also is expected to negotiate his case with prosecutors.

Prosecutors decided not to charge two parents whose children died after they were left in cars alone.

In those cases, prosecutors said the state law requires parents to knowingly or intentionally leave their children alone in order to be charged.

Herndon said he considers three factors when determining whether to negotiate a neglect case: significant criminal history or history, significant history with Child Protective Services and whether the child suffered any injury.