Mother accused of child abuse after leaving 4-year-old daughter home alone

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- When you head out on the town for a night of fun and you're a parent, conventional wisdom says to have a babysitter lined up, but for one Scottsdale mother, officers say that didn't happen. Her 4-year-old child got out of the house and a neighbor called the police.

It was supposed to be a fun night, but the next morning, Alexandra Ciliento was in a lot of trouble. The 29-year-old is now facing one count of child abuse after police say she went out for a night of fun in the entertainment district and left her daughter home alone.

Police documents indicate the child left the apartment early Saturday and went to a neighbor's home. After waiting 45 minutes, the neighbor called the police.

It took two hours for Scottsdale authorities to located Ciliento. When they did find her, police say Ciliento told them that she left the apartment around 11:00 p.m. the night before to go out on the town and had not returned home.

Ciliento says she didn't know one thing -- that her daughter actually knew how to unlock doors in the home.

The 4-year-old girl is currently with her father and Ciliento is not allowed to see her.

Ciliento is scheduled to be back in court on October 8.