Woman in custody for leaving child in Bensalem hotel room
By Alex Lloyd Gross
A woman is in custody for leaving her 7 month old infant alone in the Knights Inn, which is located on Route 1 in Bensalem Bucks County. The incident happened July 30, 2017 just after 12 noon when hotel staff gained entry to the room for cleaning. The infant was found face down on the floor and the mother was not around. After waiting a few minutes to see if maybe the mother ran to her car, the cops were called. The mother was not even on the hotel property.
Investigation determined that the room was rented by 34 year old Erica Avila-Lopez of Philadelphia who is the baby’s mother. It was also determined that Erica Avila-Lopez left the child in the room alone on 07/29/2017 at approximately 4:00 PM and never returned to the room. Bensalem Police could not locate Erica Avila-Lopez. Bucks County Children & Youth social workers responded to St. Mary’s Hospital and the baby was turned over to the custody of Philadelphia DHS since Lopez and her child are Philadelphia residents. Erica Avila-Lopez was arrested and charged with Endangering the Welfare of Children, Recklessly Endangering Another Person, and Narcotics Offenses. Drugs and drug paraphernalia were found in the hotel room, police said.