BABE IN THE WOODS; DANISH MOM JAILED AFTER LEAVING INFANT OUTSIDE N.Y. RESTAURANT.Byline: Beth J. Harpaz Associated Press Associated Press: see news agency. Associated Press (AP) Cooperative news agency, the oldest and largest in the U.S. and long the largest in the world. A Danish mother who left her child in a stroller outside a restaurant quickly learned how New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of reacts to such a lack of street smarts street smarts Vox populi Worldly wisdom and wariness in human interactions. Cf Social smarts. : jail for her and the father, temporary foster care for the youngster. The case has become something of an international incident and shocked people on both sides of the Atlantic. In Denmark, parents leave children unattended while they shop or dine. But that's unheard of Not heard of; of which there are no tidings. Unknown to fame; obscure. - Glanvill. See also: Unheard Unheard in New York, where people chain up outdoor garbage cans and flower pots to prevent theft. ``I wouldn't leave a dog outside a restaurant in New York,'' said Leah Wells as she played with her 20-month-old son in a playground near the Dallas BBQ BBQ barbecue cafe, where the incident began Saturday. Annette Sorensen, an actress visiting New York for a month, left her 14-month-old daughter, Liv, in a stroller on the sidewalk next to the restaurant's plate-glass window, amid outdoor tables and chairs. She went inside with the baby's father, Exavier Wardlaw, a movie production assistant who lives in New York, and sat three tables from the window, 6 feet away. Waiters and customers suggested she bring the baby and stroller inside. ``But she said the baby was fine,'' said waiter Peter Plano. Then a customer called 911. Officers charged both parents with endangering the welfare of a child. The father also was charged with disorderly conduct disorderly conduct Conduct likely to lead to a disturbance of the public peace or that offends public decency. It has been held to include the use of obscene language in public, fighting in a public place, blocking public ways, and making threats. . The couple spent three days in jail. Late Tuesday, a family court judge ordered that the child, which had been placed in foster care, be returned to her parents at 5 p.m. today, said Maggie Lear, a spokeswoman for the Administration for Children's Services. The case is due back in criminal court Monday and in family court today. Mayor Rudolph Giuliani told reporters police intervened because ``patrons in the restaurant were complaining that the baby was left alone, that the baby was crying and the baby was being neglected. ``I think we did the right thing,'' the mayor said. ``If they acted out of an excess of caution, so be it.'' Sorensen refused interviews. ``We're trying to help her obtain legal counsel and find out what this case is really about,'' said Danish Consulate spokesman Kim Christiansen. He said a Dane would find it strange that ``you could actually be charged here with leaving your child outside a place very near where you could see what was going on.'' Indeed, parents in Denmark were astonished a·ston·ish tr.v. as·ton·ished, as·ton·ish·ing, as·ton·ish·es To fill with sudden wonder or amazement. See Synonyms at surprise. . ``Maybe it has something to do with the fact that Denmark is a safer place to live in than New York,'' said Tue Hoejbjerg, who left his son on a Copenhagen sidewalk for a few minutes as he ate in a fast-food restaurant. Wardlaw's lawyer, David Kirsch, said the parents ``had no idea that there was anything wrong with what they were doing. . . . They were on one side of a glass partition, and on the other side was the child.'' Kirsch kirsch n. A colorless brandy made from the fermented juice of cherries. [French, short for German Kirschwasser; see kirschwasser. alleged that officers beat Wardlaw at the police station and tried to stuff his head in a toilet. He said a brutality complaint will be filed once custody of the baby is resolved. Police Deputy Inspector Michael Collins said officers reported that Wardlaw had been ``belligerent, abusive and loud'' to officers, calling them ``pigs.'' Police arrested the parents after witnesses said the baby was left outside for an hour. CAPTION(S): 3 Photos PHOTO (1 -- color) Annette Sorensen of Copenhagen leaves court following her arraignment A criminal proceeding at which the defendant is officially called before a court of competent jurisdiction, informed of the offense charged in the complaint, information, indictment, or other charging document, and asked to enter a plea of guilty, not guilty, or as otherwise permitted in New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. . (2 -- color) Fourteen-month-old Liv Sorensen was left outside a restaurant. (3 -- color) Exavier Wardlaw, left, walks with his lawyer after Monday's arraignment. Associated Press |
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