Mother 'Livid' After Ill 5-Year-Old Son Left Alone Outside Pacoima School

PACOIMA (CBSLA.com) — A local mother is demanding answers after she says her young son was left alone to wander outside of his school after he fell ill.

Erika Maldonado says that while the principal of Sara Coughlin Elementary School in Pacoima apologized after her 5-year-old son was left alone outside on the street, it isn't enough.

Tony's aunt made the shocking discovery when she arrived at the school to pick him up after he became ill. She then took him into the office.

"She asked who was supervising him, and they didn't even notice that he was missing," Maldonado said.

Maldonado says she went directly to the principal after hearing what had happened.

"I was livid, first of all," Maldonado said. "Why was my ill child outside of the school with no staff member watching him?"

A spokesperson from the Los Angeles Unified School District says it is the district's policy to never leave a child unattended. However, the school has not admitted that Tony was alone, despite the principal "investigating" to make sure whatever happened does not happen again.

"(The principal) was very apologetic, but apologies, what is an apology going to do?" Maldonado asked. "Apologies (aren't) going to fix what happened today."