The woman was found asleep while two children who were under her care tried to walk to Princeton
TRENTON - A Trenton woman was asleep at home last week when two young children in her care were found trying to walk from Trenton to Princeton, according to Mercer County prosecutors.
Cynthia Dubuque, 37, was charged with child endangerment after a 4-year-old and a 6-year-old child were found on Pennington Road and Olden Avenue - a busy intersection in Ewing, authorities said.
A driver called after seeing the children around 8 a.m. on Aug. 22, prosecutors said. The kids told the officers they were trying to walk to Princeton, almost 11 miles away, prosecutors said.
Officers returned the children to their Trenton home - about three blocks from the intersection - and found their caretaker, Dubuque, asleep inside, prosecutors said.
Dubuque told police that the children had said they were going to play outside and she thought they were going to a neighbor's house.
Dubuque was held on a $50,000 bail until a judge ordered her released on her own recognizance Monday. The children are not staying with her, prosecutors said.
Anna Merriman may be reached at amerriman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @anna_merriman.