UPDATE #3: RIVERSIDE: Police detain mother who allegedly abandoned 2-year-old at Food 4 Less

UPDATE: March 14, 7:40 p.m. See original and followup stories below.

RIVERSIDE – Numerous media outlets are reporting that City of Riverside Police officials have announced they have located and detained a 31-year-old Riverside resident who allegedly abandoned her two-year-old daughter at a Riverside area grocery store. The child was deserted at Food 4 Less at 4250 Van Buren Boulevard in Riverside Sunday, March 12.

After the story about the mother who abandoned her toddler at the grocery store first began to circulate throughout various news and social media outlets, the investigation into the alleged incident has been receiving ever-increasing publicity.

Countless people have condemned the alleged actions of the mother, who authorities eventually identified as Chiengkham “Cindy” Vilaysane.

In different Facebook profiles, Vilaysane has claimed to work for the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department and the Department of Defense. Both agencies deny Vilaysane is or ever was employed by their agencies.

According to Riverside Police Public Information Officer Ryan Railsback, Vilaysane was spotted at a bank by someone who had been following the story about the deserted toddler.

The person immediately called 911 to report Vilaysane being at the bank and authorities were able to quickly move in and detain the woman. It was not immediately known what bank Vilaysane was spotted at or what city the bank is located in.

As of 6 p.m., Vilaysane was reportedly being questioned by Riverside police officials about the alleged incident.

An online jail records search conducted shortly before 8 p.m., showed Vilaysane had not yet been charged or booked into jail regarding the incident.

An updated press release from Riverside PD is expected to be released soon.

This is a developing story. Additional information will be updated as it becomes available.

 

UPDATE: March 14, 3 p.m.

Police identify mother who abandoned 2-year-old at Riverside area Food 4 Less

RIVERSIDE – Authorities announced they have identified a woman who allegedly abandoned her two-year-old daughter at a grocery store. The child was deserted at Food 4 Less at 4250 Van Buren Boulevard in Riverside Sunday, March 12.

When the story about the mother abandoning her toddler at the store began to circulate in the news, the woman’s alleged actions caused a firestorm of condemnation towards her as well as well-wishes for her daughter and offers to take care of the little girl who had been deserted in such a public place.

After numerous people contacted Riverside Police officials with tips and leads, detectives identified Chiengkham Vilaysane, 31, of Riverside, as the person who reportedly refused to take her child back, even after a good Samaritan tried to reunite the pair inside the store.

Upon being brought her wandering daughter inside the store, Vilaysane reportedly told the unidentified good Samaritan, “Oh, just leave her.”

Vilaysane was later seen leaving the store – without her daughter – after she paid for her purchases and left the location.

Vilaysane is also known to go by the name Cindy and the nickname “TuTu.”

On one of her many Facebook profiles Vilaysane claims she currently is employed by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department as an Assistant Section Officer; however, sheriff’s officials refuted that claim in a social media response to questions about her alleged employment.

However, officials did not specify if Vilaysane was ever employed by the sheriff’s department.

Vilaysane has also stated she works or has worked as a Jr. Production Officer for the U.S. Department of Defense. Attempts to contact the DOD to verify her employment with their agency have not yet been responded to.

Vilaysane’s Facebook profiles also mention and show numerous pictures, not only of the two-year-old she allegedly abandoned, but a second, older daughter as well. No information was available regarding the whereabouts of Vilaysane’s older daughter.

Searching through Vilaysane’s Facebook accounts also yielded information that the wayward mother might have done something similar to this before.

Just four months ago, in November 2016, a person claiming to be a family member of Vilaysane’s sent her a message begging her to return to one of her daughters – who was sick at the time – after she allegedly left or abandoned her last year.

Although detectives believe they have positively identified the abandoned girl’s mother, they have not yet located her and are still requesting the public’s help in locating the woman.

The toddler, who has not been identified due to her age, is in the protective custody of Child Protective Services.

Anyone who knows the whereabouts of Chiengkham “Cindy” Vilaysane is urged to immediately contact Detective Paul Miranda at (951) 353-7945 or via email. Tipsters can remain anonymous.

This is a developing story. Additional information will be updated as it becomes available.

 

ORIGINAL STORY

Police seeking public’s help after 2-year-old abandoned

at Riverside area Food 4 Less

RIVERSIDE – City of Riverside police detectives are seeking the public’s help identifying a woman who allegedly abandoned her two-year-old daughter Sunday, March 12.

The incident happened at a Food 4 Less grocery store at 4250 Van Buren Boulevard in Riverside. (See video below for further information regarding the mother and abandoned child.)

Officials have described the alleged suspect as an unknown race female, about 20 to 30-years-old, with long dark hair. She was last seen wearing a black or dark tank top shirt and denim shorts. According to authorities, it appeared the woman may have portions of her arm or arms covered in tattoos.

“The child has not been reported as missing and has since been placed in the custody of Child Protective Services,” Riverside police officials explained in an online social media press release.

City of Riverside police officers responded to the grocery store about 5:55 p.m., after Food 4 Less employees called 911 to report having found the wayward child.

During their investigation, officers determined a woman, believed to be the toddler’s mother, abandoned her daughter while shopping at the store.

Authorities obtained CCTV surveillance footage from inside the store that clearly showed the unidentified woman walking into the store with the little girl following not far behind her.

“While inside the store, the toddler wandered off,” the press release explained. “The mother never sought out the child’s whereabouts and continued shopping.”

According to police officials, an unidentified good Samaritan located the child and searched the store, looking for the girl’s mother.

When the good Samaritan located the girl’s mother shopping inside the store and attempted to reunite the two, the mother allegedly responded, “Oh, just leave her.”

The mother then went back to shopping, ignoring the child.

Surveillance footage later showed the woman pay for her groceries before leaving the store and deserting her daughter at the store.

“The small child was able to identify the woman as her ‘mommy’ when she was shown a photo from the surveillance footage,” the release explained. “It appears the toddler was intentionally left in the store by the mother.”

After the incident was announced on Riverside Police Department’s Facebook page, citizens took to social media discussing the alleged child abandonment.

Colton resident Jenn Porter wrote, “Oh my… So heartbreaking!! Prayers this child gets loving adoptive parents!!”

Another person, Christina Lopez of Rialto, who was shocked at the actions of the mother, wrote, “(What a) despicable, disgusting human. She never deserved to be a mother in the first place.”

“Even if (the mother) fell on hard times there were other options, that little girl didn’t need to be abandoned like that,” Lopez continued. “There’s churches, police stations, social services, (and other options available.)”

In the wake of the reported abandonment, countless people have stepped forward, offering to temporarily care for the toddler until her mother is located and the situation is resolved.

This was the second incident involving a young girl at a Riverside area Food 4 Less in as many months. The other incident happened Feb. 15, when Theodore Childers, 78, of Simi Valley attempted to lure a 6-year-old into a men’s restroom at a Food 4 Less located at 3900 Chicago Avenue in Riverside. (Click link for full story and updated arrest information related to that investigation and arrest.)

Childers was arrested March 9, within days of Riverside police officials releasing information about the child annoyance/attempted kidnapping.

Numerous anonymous tipsters recognized a newly-opened gym T-Shirt the suspect was wearing when he offered to give the young girl “a treat” if she would follow him into the men’s restroom at the grocery store.

Anyone who recognizes the women or the child who was abandoned is urged to immediately contact Detective Paul Miranda at (951) 353-7945 or via email. Tipsters can remain anonymous.

This is a developing story. Additional information will be updated as it becomes available.

 

Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg in an off-duty accident.

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including the Robert Presley Detention Center, the Southwest Station in Temecula, the Hemet Station, and the Lake Elsinore Station, along with many other locations.