Plainfield PD: Mother was passed out with engine running, 2-year-old in back seat

PLAINFIELD, Conn. (WTIC) -- A mother from Moosup has been arrested after police found her passed out behind the wheel of her car with her toddler in the backseat.

Plainfield police say they were dispatched to Hank's Dairy Bar on Norwich Road about 5:30 p.m. on Saturday. Someone had noticed a woman slumped behind the wheel of a parked car.

When they arrived they found 33-year-old Tabitha L. Hall sleeping with her head her chest, the keys in the ignition and the engine running. When officers opened the door to check on her, Hall woke up. Police say they saw what appeared to be drug paraphernalia between her legs and a baggie clinched in her right hand. They later determined that baggie had previously contained cocaine. Numerous empty “nip” bottles of vodka were also seen in the vehicle. Hall submitted to several field sobriety tests and was determined to be impaired.

During this encounter with Hall, her 2-year-old daughter was asleep in the rear passenger portion of the vehicle. Hall's daughter was later released to the custody of a family member.