Jury finds Ankeny resident guilty of child endangerment

On June 25, 2019, a Boone County jury found Katherine Marie Mondragon, 28, of Ankeny, Iowa, guilty of Child Endangerment in violation of Iowa Code section 726.6(1)(a).

According to the testimony at trial, on January 10, 2019, at approximately 9:42 pm, a call came into the Boone County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch that there was a suspicious car in the St. Malachy’s Church parking lot. The car was located in the far corner of the lot in a secluded and dark area. An officer responded.

The officer testified that the vehicle was not running, without heat inside, and the outside temperature at the time was approximately 20 degrees. The officer shined his flashlight in the car and saw a car seat with a four-month-old baby inside. The officer attempted to unlock the vehicle doors to get the four month old in a heated vehicle.

About 20 minutes later after the car alarm went off the defendant, Katherine Mondragon, came running to the vehicle. Katherine Mondragon advised that she was having vehicle trouble and left the baby inside the vehicle as she went for help. However, when Mondragon was ready to leave the vehicle started right up and drove off.

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