The mother of a 6-year-old girl left her alone at their Bethesda apartment Wednesday night, apparently while she went to a kickboxing class and the grocery store, Montgomery County police said.
After the woman left home, county firefighters were called about 7:20 p.m. for a report of smoke in the 6400 block of Rock Forest Drive, said Capt. Marcus Jones, a police spokesman.
The firefighters found the girl home alone. She was not hurt.
She apparently had burned bread in a toaster oven, but there was no fire, said Capt. Oscar Garcia of the Montgomery County Fire Department.
The child was taken to a police station. Officials left word with a neighbor regarding her whereabouts. Her mother arrived at the station later and told police she had gone to the grocery store and to kickboxing class, Jones said. Police issued her a criminal citation for leaving a child unattended.
Police did not identify the mother so the girl’s name would remain confidential, Jones said. The child was expected to be released to her mother late Wednesday.