2 charged after leaving 2 toddlers alone in car to go to a wine tasting session in Warren County
WHITE TOWNSHIP, NJ (Warren County) – Two people were charged after allegedly leaving two toddlers alone in a car to go to a wine tasting session in Warren County, according to the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office.
On Sunday, Feb. 25, New Jersey State Troopers from the Washington Barracks responded to Four Sisters Winery, located at 783 County Road 519, in White Township after receiving a report that a man and a woman left a 2-year-old and a 3-yearold in a vehicle while they entered the establishment for a wine tasting session, officials said.
The suspects reportedly left the children unattended for approximately 20 minutes, authorities said.
While enroute troopers were alerted that the vehicle had departed. Troopers located the vehicle in Harmony Township that same day and observed the children unharmed, the prosecutor’s office said.
On Thursday, April 25 John J. O’Mahoney, 43, and Radhika Vyas, 37, both from Phillipsburg were each charged with two counts of fourth-degree cruelty and neglect of children.
The fourth-degree offenses carry a maximum sentence of 18 months in the New Jersey State Prison.
“We would like to recognize the conscientious staff at Four Sisters Winery for notifying authorities of this dangerous condition. Additionally, we would like to remind everyone that it is not acceptable to leave young children unattended in a vehicle, and that doing so for even a short period of time can result in tragic consequences,” the prosecutor’s office siad.
