Woman Pleads Guilty To Endangering Child Who Died In Hot Car

Chaya Shurkin (Photo courtesy Ocean County Prosecutor's Office)

  LAKEWOOD – A local woman pleaded guilty to endangerment, after leaving her child in a hot car which led to the child’s death.

  Chaya Shurkin, 27, of Lakewood, pled guilty to Endangering the Welfare of a Child, police said. She had left her child in the car alone for two and a half hours. The car was turned off, in the heat of the day on May 6, 2019.

  Life-saving measures were performed on the scene by police. Unfortunately, the child was pronounced dead at the hospital.

  During her sentencing on July 23, her recommended sentence will be a term of probation.

Photo courtesy Ocean County Scanner News

  “Sadly, the loss of this child was totally avoidable. Ms. Shurkin lost a child as a consequence of her own inattention; this is a burden she must carry with her for the rest of her life, which amounts to a far greater punishment than any sentence the State could possibly recommend to a Court,” Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said. “It should be noted that the State’s recommendation for probation is consistent with the manner in which the majority of these dreadful types of cases have been handled in Ocean County, as well as throughout this state and nation, and it represents an acknowledgement that the loss of a child – under these horrific circumstances – is tantamount to a life-sentence in and of itself.”        

  Prosecutor Billhimer commended the efforts of Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Christine Lento who handled the case on behalf of the State, as well as the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Lakewood Township Police Department, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, and the State and Ocean County Medical Examiner’s Office.