Thornton police apprehended a woman Saturday night who had allegedly abandoned her two small children, leaving them sitting in a van at a parking lot at Thornton Parkway and Huron Street.
A security guard at National Jewish Health saw the woman, Sarah May Hatfield, 25, outside the hospital in the 1400 block of Jackson Street at 11:45 p.m. and called the police.
Thornton police took her into custody for investigation of child abuse, said Thornton police spokesman Matt Barnes.
Hatfield reportedly abandoned a gold van containing her 2-year-old and 4-year-old sons in the lot. The children were taken into protective custody, Barnes said.
Police found Hatfield’s wallet and keys in the car. They were unable to find the boys’ mother and released them to their father.
“He advised us there was a handgun missing from the residence, at which time we did a more extensive search of the area,” Barnes said. Police did not find the gun.
From Denver Post and wire reports
