A local mother is in jail after her young child was found unsupervised wandering a park near downtown Pocatello.
Justine Rickard, 33, has been charged with felony injury to a child and meth possession after her 4-year-old daughter was found alone at Centennial Park along the Portneuf River, police said.
Pocatello police said they were contacted by local residents around 1 p.m. Saturday that the child was walking around Centennial Park unsupervised.
Responding police officers found the child and brought her back to Pocatello police headquarters while they tried to determine her identity. The child was scared and wouldn't provide much information initially to Pocatello police.
Pocatello police posted on social media that they had found the child at Centennial Park and within minutes local residents called in to identify Rickard as the child's mother.
Pocatello police said they tracked down Rickard at her home around 6:30 p.m. Saturday and placed her under arrest for felony injury to a child for leaving her 4-year-old daughter unsupervised at the park.
Upon searching Rickard police said they also found meth in her possession, which resulted in the drug charge.
Police said that while the 4-year-old was at police headquarters they could tell the child was hungry so they got her a Happy Meal from McDonald's as well as a lollipop. Police dispatchers also cared for the child until she was placed into the custody of child protection services personnel on Saturday evening.
Police said that the child is currently in foster care.
