A 19-year-old Wauwatosa woman has been charged with felony child abandonment after police say she took a friend's 10-month-old daughter and left her on a sidewalk in West Allis earlier this week.
Diandra N. Kroening, 19, faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted. She is being held at the Milwaukee County Jail without bail.
According to criminal complaint issued Friday, the little girl lives with her 20-year-old mother and grandmother in the 7000 block of Milwaukee Ave. in Wauwatosa. On Monday evening, Kroening came by unexpectedly and the mother asked her if she would watch the baby for a few minutes while the mother showered.
When the mother returned to the living room about 15 or 20 minutes later, Kroening, the baby and the little girl's pink diaper bag were all missing. Neither the child's mother nor grandmother, who is the girl's legal guardian, gave Kroening permission to leave with the baby.
A couple hours later, about 10 p.m. Monday, the child was found lying on the sidewalk in the 800 block of S. 75 St. in West Allis. Witnesses told police they had seen someone walk through a nearby alley carrying the baby and the pink bag and place them both on the ground in front of a residence and walk away.
The baby was not hurt.
Earlier this week, Wauwatosa police were seeking the public's help in finding Kroening.
Milwaukee police found Kroening walking in the 1600 block of W. Lincoln Ave. about 10 p.m. Wednesday and arrested her.