By Will Greenlee

FORT PIERCE — Two mothers each face a felony child neglect charge after being accused of leaving their children — a 2-year-old girl and a 4-year-old girl — alone while they went dancing, according to arrest affidavits released Monday and a police spokeswoman.

Rosa G. Ortega, 40, and Nancy Rios Betancourt, 33, both of the 300 block of Decordre Court in Fort Pierce, were arrested early Sunday morning after leaving their children alone while they went dancing at a restaurant, according to police.

When an officer arrived about 11:45 p.m. Saturday to a residence in the 300 block of Decordre Court, he found a 4-year-old girl “opening and closing the front door … crying and yelling out mommy.” A 2-year-old girl also was crying and yelling “mommy.” The officer couldn’t find any adults.

A woman who said she lives at the residence arrived shortly afterward and said she didn’t know the children were home alone. That woman contacted the parents.

Betancourt said she left her 4-year-old daughter with her friend, Ortega, who was watching the children. Betancourt said after the kids went to sleep, she picked up Ortega and went to the restaurant to go dancing “and left the children alone at home.”

Ortega said she put the kids to sleep and went to go dancing though was “only” gone for about 45 minutes.

The children appeared frightened but not harmed.

This entry was posted on Monday, March 15th, 2010 at 9:28 pm and is filed under Fort Pierce. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.