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LA Official To Seek 'Help' After Daughter, 11, Found At City Hall

Andrea Alarcon
Andrea Alarcón (center) (courtesy LABPW)

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — The president of the Los Angeles Board of Public Works said Thursday she will seek "professional help" after her own 11-year-old daughter was found unattended at City Hall.

KNX 1070's Jan Stevens reports Andrea Alarcón is speaking out for the first time amid an ongoing child endangerment investigation by police.

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Alarcón's daughter was discovered unattended at City Hall around 11:45 p.m. last Friday night and taken to the LAPD's Central Division.

Her mother showed up around 2 a.m., according to the Los Angeles Times. She was not arrested.

The incident reportedly took place on the same night that City Hall facilities were being used for a party hosted by a group devoted to restoring city-owned landmarks.

Alarcón, 33, declined to discuss the investigation, but did acknowledge that her 11-year-old daughter often accompanies her to special events at work.

"My daughter is my top priority and nothing could be more important to me than her well being. In order for me to be the best parent possible, I have decided to seek professional help and treatment," Alarcón said in a statement released by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. "I ask that the media respect my family's privacy during this difficult time."

Alarcón described her daughter as her "pride and joy" on her official biography page on the Board of Public Works website.

The District Attorney's office wants to gather more evidence before deciding whether to file charges.

Alarcón is the adult daughter of City Councilman Richard Alarcón.

(©2012 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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