Parents arrested, charged after children found alone in mall parking lot

Two parents were charged after their children were found alone in a parking lot at Citadel Mall on Sunday evening.

Witnesses told Charleston police they saw a child standing outside of a blue Mitsubishi Galant with his pants and underpants down around his ankles.

The child told witnesses he had been in the vehicle for a “long,long time,” and that he wet his pants, an incident report states.

A second child was found inside the vehicle. Both children, ages 3 and 4, told police they were cold and wanted to sit inside a warm car.

Police saw two open containers containing an alcoholic beverage inside the front seat’s cup holders, the report said.

The parents, Sierra Ancrum, 25, and Antron Gibbs, 28, both of William Kennerty Drive, told police they were only gone for 15 minutes.

Ancrum and Gibbs showed police store receipts with time stamps on them, the report said.

When police asked why they left the children behind, Ancrum said they were asleep. Before leaving, she told the children not to move or get out of the vehicle, the report said.

Gibbs told police the open containers belonged to him.

Both Ancurm and Gibbs’ driver’s licenses were suspended and no child safety seat was inside the vehicle, the report said.

Ancrum and Gibbs were arrested and charged with two counts of unlawful conduct towards a child.

Gibbs was also charged with having an open container in a vehicle.

Ancrum and Gibbs were held at the Charleston County jail.