Mother charged after allegedly making daughter and friend ride in trunk of car
A Batavia woman is accused of making her 13-year-old daughter and an 11-year-old friend ride in the trunk of her car going to and coming from a bonfire at a friend's house on Old Creek Road this past Friday.
Julie C. Stevens, 57, of 18 Harvester Ave., is charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child.
She appeared in Batavia City Court this morning and Judge Michael Delplato required her to take her daughter to the girl's father's house in Perry before imposing an order of protection barring her from contact with the girl while the case is pending.
She was also given time to arrange for representation through the Public Defender's Office.
Stevens is scheduled to appear in city court on Wednesday and enter a plea and receive the order of protection.
In a statement to police, Steven said she had six children riding in her car after they had spent some time playing at the spray park. She said the back seat of her car folds down and there were children sitting on the folded down seats and her daughter and another child in the trunk.
She said they spent two hours at the bonfire.
A mother from Varysburg filed a complaint with city police after one of her children -- who had been left at Steven's house to be babysat -- told her a couple of days later what allegedly happened.
The city court file contains statements from the mother and two of her children, including the 11-year-old boy who was allegedly told to ride in the trunk.
The make and model of Steven's car were not listed in the court file and the information is not available through city police.
The case was investigated by Officer James DeFreze and Officer Jason Davis.