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Ocoee police: Woman left children in running vehicle so she could rehearse lines for play

OCOEE, Fl. — A woman is facing charges after police said she left two young children alone in a running vehicle for two hours so that she could rehearse lines for a play.

Ocoee police said that Shamira Matthew, the caregiver of the 5 and 6-year-old, left the children alone in the vehicle to "watch a show on a cellphone."

The children were discovered when a woman walking her dog heard noises coming from the vehicle.

Upon investigation, Matthew told police that she was rehearsing for a play and had no choice but to leave the kids in the car because they were reading lines and didn't want the distraction from kids being loud.

According to police, the car was left down the block from where the rehearsal was taking place, meaning the children were not visible to Matthew.

Channel 9 made a visit to the home where the rehearsal took place, but the occupant did not want to speak.

Matthew was later charged with child neglect.

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