CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) — A Long Island mother accused of leaving her young child alone at home all night so she could go on a date was in court Monday to plead her case.
As CBS 2’s Jennifer McLogan reported exclusively, Melissa Weiner, 31, said her long absence was an accident.
Dressed in a lavender silk blouse, the Long Island mother accused of leaving her son home alone for 16 hours while she was on a date arrived in court Tuesday.
Weiner, 31, sought to have a judge’s order lifted that she stay away from her 6-year-old child.
When asked outside the courtroom whether she intentionally left her son home alone, or whether she would be able to give any explanation for her behavior, Weiner declined to comment through an attorney.
But in court, Weiner said: “I thought I would be gone only a few hours. I know I f***ed up,” and “I just wanted to spend some time with my nice guy.”
Weiner’s father defended her Tuesday.
“She’s not a criminal to be put on TV,” said Weiner’s father, who declined to provide his name. “She made a bad mistake. The courts are going to deal with it. The child is fine.”
Weiner’s son was back in school with his classmates Tuesday, after spending an entire night and most of the morning alone in his Port Jefferson condo. Meanwhile, his mother reportedly fell asleep at the home of a male friend in Dix Hills.
The little boy was spotted wandering in the street, heading toward an unsupervised swimming pool.
Neighbors were flabbergasted.
“I said, ‘How did you get out of the house?’ He’s only 6. And he said, ‘I unlocked the door,’” neighbor Al DeMeo said Monday. “With that I said, ‘Why are the lights on in the living room?’ (He said), ‘You know, I put them on last night because it was dark.’”
“It’s sad – sad,” added Cathy DeMeo. “Your heart breaks because he’s a little boy. He shouldn’t be left alone.”
A village constable first spotted the child, and has been credited with saving the day.
“I asked him if he was all right. The first thing he said, he was hungry,” said Constable James Murdocco. “So I knew something was wrong, at that point, especially his pajamas were still on.”
The order of protection against Weiner on her son’s behalf will remain in effect until her next day in court on July 29.
Until then, the boy has been left in the care of relatives.
Weiner’s family said she loves her son very much and is a devoted mother.
Check Out These Other Stories From CBSNewYork.com: