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Rochester, MN (KROC AM News) - A Rochester woman is accused of leaving her three young children in an unlocked and hot car while she was at a court hearing Wednesday.

Police say by the time the kids were found, they were “soaking in sweat” and one was lethargic.

The criminal complaint says their mother later admitted not telling anyone about the children because she did not want to lose custody of them.

The woman’s car was in the Government Center parking lot and the alarm was activated for unknown reasons around 5:30 pm. An officer who went to check found the trunk open, the flashers on and the dark-tinted windows in the up position. When the officer opened the driver's door, "a wave of heat " came from the vehicle.

The officer then found the children, ages 1, 3 and 4-years-old.

Police Capt Casey Moilanen says they were taken by ambulance to the hospital where they were checked out before being turned over to social services workers.

He says it appears they were in the car for about 3 hours.

Olmsted Count ADC
Olmsted Count ADC
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Their mother - 29-year-old Dectrini Boldien - was in court for a hearing when it was learned she was wanted on a Ramsey County warrant. The judge ordered her to be taken into custody.Moilanen says the judge inquired about her children and Boldien told her they were being cared for in the Twin Cities.

She is expected to be arraigned Friday on a child neglect charge.

Here is the police narrative of the incident:

On April 28, 2021, at 5:29 PM Officer Baker of the Rochester Police Department was dispatched to the Olmsted County Government Center parking lot on a report of an occupied vehicle with its alarm going off. Upon arrival, Officer Baker observed a maroon car with MN plate DBD 372 with tinted windows, flashers on, and the trunk open. The vehicle was parked in the middle of the parking lot, directly in the sun with no cover. The vehicle had no windows down.

Officer Baker observed two young females inside the car on the driver seat who had sweat dripping down their heads. Officer Baker opened the unlocked driver-side door and felt a wave of heat emit from the vehicle. The two females in the driver seat were soaked in sweat. A young male was laying face down in the front passenger seat. The male was sweaty as well and Officer Baker had to tap the child in order to wake him. Officer Baker briefly scanned the car and did not see
anything for the children to eat or drink. The two females were identified and were aged 1 and 3. The male was 4 years of age.

Officer Baker called Mayo Ambulance to have the children evaluated.

One of the children indicated that their mother was inside the government center. Further investigation revealed that the mother of the children, Dectrini Vershun Boldien (7/7/1991), Defendant herein, was arrested at 2:56 PM by court staff.

Defendant had made an in-person appearance before Judge Lund at 2:00 PM in a Child Protection matter. Judge Lund ordered Olmsted County Community Services to take custody of Defendant's children. At the hearing, Defendant indicated that her children were in the metro area, but could not give an address.

Defendant made no mention of her children being in a vehicle in the parking lot at the time of her arrest. Officer Schlag spoke with Defendant in the ADC. Defendant claimed to have called someone to come get her children and her vehicle.

Defendant admitted to not telling anyone about her children because she did not want to lose custody of them.

Officer Schlag noticed that the vehicle was still in the parking lot the following day.

News update:  Mankato teen charged with horrific crime.

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