El Cajon

An El Cajon woman has been arrested, accused of abandoning her 4-year-old daughter nearly two weeks ago by leaving her with a stranger at a motel, police said.

Glen Altemus of El Cajon told police that he went to the Fabulous 7 Motel at 1527 E. Main St. on Oct. 15, where he was approached by an unidentified woman who asked him to watch her child for a couple of hours. Altemus said he accepted the child, but by morning the woman had not reappeared, according to an El Cajon police spokeswoman. Altemus took the girl home, and he and his wife, Donna, cared for her for five days, the spokeswoman said.

Altemus said he left information at the motel’s front desk about where he could be reached, in hopes that the mother would eventually return, according to police.

But five days passed with no contact, and Altemus’ called officials at the county Child Protective Services, who took the child into custody.

El Cajon police eventually located Sherri Yvonne Harmon, 26. She at first refused to give correct information to the police, but finally admitted being the child’s mother, the spokeswoman said.