Police: Joliet mother arrested after leaving her son home alone

JOLIET – A Joliet woman was arrested in connection with leaving her child home alone with the caps to hypodermic needles and a syringe.

At 1:40 a.m. Tuesday, Veronica Gonzalez-Borda, 37, of the 500 block of Florence Avenue was arrested on a charge of endangering the life and health of a child. Gonzalez-Borda also was wanted on county warrants.

Officers were sent to a home in the 800 block of Summit Street after receiving a report of a child left home alone, Joliet Deputy Police Chief Ed Gregory said in an email.

When they arrived, they met with a 41-year-old witness who had allegedly found a 5-year-old child home alone. The child told the officers that his mother had left and he was told to “wait here,” Gregory said.

A friend of Gonzalez-Borda showed up and claimed he was responsible for watching the child but had been in the garage fixing his car, said Gregory, who added the man changed his story a few times and indicated Gonzalez-Borda was probably at the library.

Gregory said that while the officers were at home, they saw several hypodermic needles caps and a syringe within the child’s reach.

Officers took the child into protective custody and told Gonzalez to meet them and state child protection services at the police station. She did not show up for several hours, Gregory said.

Gonzalez-Borda was taken to jail.