01:57 PM CST on Sunday, February 19, 2006

By TJ Aulds / Galveston County Daily News

LEAGUE CITY — A 27-year-old League City woman who police said confused the weekend with a weekday and dropped her 6-year-old off at school was arrested Saturday.

Lt. Bruce Whitten of the League City police department said police believe the mother thought Saturday was a school day and drove her daughter to Ferguson Elementary that morning. Despite the lack of activity at the school or cars in the parking lot the child was let off at the school, Whitten said.

A few hours later a passer-by saw the child, who was coatless in a chilly drizzle, and called police.

Whitten said the passer-by offered a set of hand warmers to help keep the girl warm and waited until police arrived.

“The officer on the scene eventually was able to make contact with the mom and have her come to the school,” said Whitten. “The mother told us she thought the day was a school day.”

Children’s Protective Services was interviewing the child Saturday afternoon and would be conducting its own investigation, Whitten said.

The mother, whose name was not initially released by police to protect the child’s identity and until another family member could be contacted to take custody, was charged with abandoning and endangering a child, said Whitten.

She was jailed on a $10,000 bond.