The Rochester couple accused of parking their children on a bench at Eastview Mall while they went to work in the mall were in Victor Court this morning.
Both mother Bilaine Seint-Just and father Jean Seide pleaded “not guilty” to three counts of endangering the welfare of a child and were released on their own recognizance.
Attorney Van White says Seint-Just has left her job and is caring for the children full time. The father has no prior criminal history.
Ontario County deputies say they left an eight-year-old, a six-year-old and a one-month-old on a bench in an employee-only area of the mall because they couldn’t find anyone to watch them while they went to their jobs on the maintenance crew.
The father has said he made sure the children had food and a cell phone in case of emergency.
This case has triggered considerable discussion about the difficulties low-income parents face in finding child care.