RACINE, Wis. -- A Racine mother is facing felony charges after leaving her two young children in a car while she went to a tanning salon.





Yolanda Kruse, 24, has been charged with first degree recklessly endangering safety, but didn’t think she did anything wrong.

May 23 was a hot and busy weekend in Twin Lakes, which drew many visitors, including Kruse, her one-week-old son, two-year-old daughter and their father. But when Kruse left the lake to get food, she took a detour to the tanning salon.

Cindy Wenzel, an employee of the salon, said Kruse used a bed for twenty minutes, which would have kept her there for half and hour.

Sun-kissed tan employees said Kruse parked on the side of the building with the windows partly open – and the children still inside. But a noise caught one worker's attention.

“She had heard, ‘Mommy, mommy, mommy,’ “ Wenzel said. “And she walked out and she couldn't believe she saw the two babies in the car.”

The employee called police was because she didn't know who or where the mother was since there are other businesses in the area.

As police were called to the salon, the employee knocked on each tanning room door, eventually learning Kruse was the missing mother.

“She just said, ‘What's the problem?’ “ Wenzel said. “She said I'm just in here for a few minutes. She said I didn't think it'd be that big of a deal.”

Police said the children were fine despite the car's 102-degree temperature.

Kruse is out on bond but no one answered at her apartment door. She didn't see the seriousness of her actions, but police aren't taking her trip to the salon lightly.

“I mean this could really turn out for a one week old infant inside the car, a very hot car like that,” said Twin Lakes Police Chief Dale Racer. “It could have been more devastating.”

Kruse now faces a maximum 15 years behind bars.

Investigators say the children's father did not know what Kruse was doing. The children were turned over to him.

http://www.wisn.com/news/19656568/detail.html

a few minutes in a tanning salon???? wtf??? what's wrong??? how about the heat or the fact that they could have been kidnapped????

this woman just cared only about herself damn if she was from my home nyc she get her selfish ass kicked!

I don't even leave my girls in the car if I have to run in the gas station to pay for gas. I guess I will never understand how selfish people can be!

Havin worked at CPS I've heard an witnessed even worse horror stories. I hope she doesn't get her children back until she's gone thru extensive parentin classes an some major therapy.

sad part is...she doesn't thik she did anything wrong. I tan and I know it's NOT a few minutes in there....even if it were....NO. i always took my son with me even if it was for a few seconds.

That's exactly why the the U.S. is giong to hell... I bet those kids are going to grow up to be winners just like their mom. I think there should be a legal screening for all people that want to bring another human being into the world, to see if they're fit enough to be parents in the first place. Part of the reason there are horrible people in the world... Is because they were brought-up by horrible parents. People don't realize that their children are a direct product of themselves.

there are some with bad parents that grow up great...some with good parents that go bad

Well, the only thing I can say is some people should have kids

We've had people leave their kids in the car outside my office...the Department of Human Services!

Recklessly Endangering Safety
The crime of recklessly endangering safety is committed by one who

1. endangers another’s safety, or
2. endangers another’s safety under circumstances which show utter disregard for human life.

*Wisconsin Penalties for Recklessly Endangering Safety:
7 ½ years prison

It's husiens fault

saw a thing on the local news a few nights ago. They are authorizing Odessa police to shoot out car windows even with a dog inside (much less a kid)

out here when its 105 outside it'll be 180 inside a car. that's slow cook barbecue temperature

good Lord

I guess she likes her kids cooked too.

the heat could cause brain damage...if not kill them

She is stupid.

if you put bubba-cue sauce on em you could eat em

hopefully the dad isn't stupid like the mom. I wish him the best of luck