Glendale mother left 4-year-old boy naked on balcony, police say
A Glendale mother has been charged with child abuse after she left her 4-year-old son naked outside on their apartment balcony for more than an hour, officials said.
Brook Kassa, 52, who was being held in lieu of $100,000 bail, faces a misdemeanor count of child abuse in connection with Saturday’s incident, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.
Kassa’s lack of criminal history and the fact she has no prior incidents of abuse reported with the county or Glendale Police Department factored into the lesser misdemeanor charge, Police Sgt. Tom Lorenz said.
Kassa was arrested Saturday on suspicion of child endangerment after officers responded to a report about her son, who had been standing on the balcony naked for at least 45 minutes without any adults present.
When officers arrived about 3:15 p.m. to the 300 block of North Jackson Street, they could see the boy and the balcony door, which appeared to be shut.
Officers knocked on the apartment door but no one answered. They obtained keys to the apartment and entered to find the boy alone. The boy didn’t appear to be physically abused, police said.
Police said the boy told them Kassa left him on the balcony with the door closed because she got a call from a customer.
Brook is registered as an insurance agent and is allowed to work from home, according to the California Department of Insurance.
The boy reportedly told officers he was naked because his mother forgot to clothe him and said she had left him with food and water on the balcony before.
Roughly 30 minutes later, Kassa returned to the apartment building. She allegedly turned away when she saw the officers, but returned after being hailed by police.
Kassa reportedly told officers she had been gone only five minutes to get the mail, police said.
The Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services was contacted about the incident. Investigators allowed the boy to stay with his father, police said.
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