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Here's the story: It's Christmas time. A lady wants to let her children donate money to the Salvation Army kettle. It's cold and snowy out - so she pulls up in a spot 10 yards away, with a direct line of sight to the bell ringers. Her two year old is asleep in the back, so she puts on her flashers, locks the doors, and sets the alarm. Then she walks her kids across the street, puts in the money and walks back.

Next thing, she's sitting in a patrol car being arrested for neglect.

Why? Because a "community (dis)service officer" got in her face and started harassing her for "abandoning" her child. It didn't matter that she could see her child the whole time. Or that she never went in the store. Or that it was cold and snowy. Or that the baby was asleep. All that mattered is that this officer had decided to make a point and the Police chief: Timothy Sulikowski is backing her.

Crestwood Police Chief Timothy Sulikowski declined to comment about the case. But he did not dispute the contention that Coyne parked nearby or was away from her car for just a few minutes.

He did, however, suggest Coyne put her child at risk.

''A minute or two, that's when things can happen,'' he said.

Happen? What exactly is going to happen in an alarmed, locked car? Further if the car did get hit by a truck would it have mattered if the mom was inside or not? No one could get into the car, and the child was safely strapped in the child seat. Go on, tell me - what exactly could happen?

Someone needs to get a fucking grip. You're in Chicago and you're going to prosecute a decent woman who was taking her kids to donate to charity? What's the message to her other children? The police are evil? Or it's wrong to donate to charity?

The 36-year-old suburban mother is preparing to go on trial Thursday on misdemeanor charges of child endangerment and obstructing a peace officer. If convicted, she could be sentenced to a year in jail and fined $2,500, even though child welfare workers found no credible evidence of abuse or neglect.

Hey Timmy! Did your mom drop you as a baby or something? Because if she didn't she sure should have...