Toddler abandoned in Highland Park vehicle is identified by authorities, mother taken into custody

Authorities have identified the toddler who was abandoned in a vehicle earlier this week by a man who allegedly broke into it.

Los Angeles Police Department detectives said with help from the community, the 1 ½-year-old child located by officers on Dec. 28th has been identified, as well as his biological parents.

The child's mother, Bianca Slaughter, a 19-year-old Los Angeles resident, was taken into custody on Tuesday and booked on felony charges.

On Sunday, around 10 a.m., a man called police after noticing an unknown man sitting inside his vehicle in Highland Park. He also saw a dog roaming nearby, and when he confronted the stranger in the car, he saw a toddler sitting in a car seat.

The man inside the vehicle told the car's owner that he and the child were running away from the dog, which was trying to attack them. The stranger then ran off and left the child behind before the police arrived.

The officers initially expressed skepticism about the stranger's story, as the dog appeared familiar with the child, staying close to him during the ordeal. 

Police said the child will remain in the care of the Department of Child and Family Services until he can be placed in a safe environment.

The dog is in the care of Los Angeles County Animal Services, with neither a license tag nor a microchip. Detectives continue to search for the dog's owner.

No further information was released about the boy's father or the man who fled from the vehicle with the boy in it.