A New Jersey man allegedly left his young children, one of whom is handicapped, alone in a motel early yesterday morning so he could shop Black Friday deals at the Woodbury Common outlet mall in Central Valley, NY. He has since been charged with child endangerment.
According to authorities, Princeton resident Toru Sakaguchi left his 4-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter, who is handicapped, at a Hampton Inn in Central Valley from 3 a.m. to 4:36 a.m. yesterday. Investigators say the 4-year-old was found crying in a hallway, and police found the 11-year-old, who was unable to open a door, in their hotel room.
Sakaguchi returned at 4:36 a.m. He reportedly told cops he'd gone to the mall to pick up his wife, who was shopping, and hadn't intended to leave his children for long. "He tried to excuse it by saying, ‘My intention was to come right away, right back,'" the police chief told CBS News. "His explanation was that his wife was shopping and he was going to pick her up. He said his wife made him wait for more than an hour and it took him longer than he thought."
Sakaguchi was issued a desk appearance ticket and will appear in front of a judge next month. He and his wife reportedly returned to Woodbury Common soon after the incident, though this time they brought their children along.
