Mother-of-four 'got high on heroin in the front seat of her car while her daughter, 2, hanged herself

Joseph (pictured with her daughter in a picture uploaded to Facebook in June) has at least three other children and has been convicted of child neglect before. Photo / Facebook

A New Jersey mom has been arrested after she allegedly got high in her parked car, leaving her two-year-old daughter to die in the rear seat.

Deanna J Joseph, 39, of Alloway Township, left her daughter unattended for hours in the car on Saturday, and when she came around she realized the girl was dead, police claim.

"It appeared the child was confined in a car seat for an extended period of time while the mother was under the influence of drugs, and may have injured herself in the car seat,"Salem County Prosecutor John T. Lenahan told NJ.com on Sunday.

Joseph, who appears to have had at least four children, called 911 at 9:45pm to report that her daughter wasn't responsive.

When first responders arrived at her home on Timberman Road the child was dead, police said.

Police allege that Joseph took heroin before driving around, with her daughter in the back, parking the vehicle and then falling asleep - at which point the infant died.
An autopsy is still pending, but it's believed that she got tangled in the belt trying to escape and was strangled to death.

Joseph has been charged with second-degree child endangerment and could face up to 10 years in prison. This is her third such arrest in nine years.

In 2014, Joseph was convicted of child cruelty and neglect after police found her unconscious alongside her 11-month-old son, who was partially submerged in a bath, NJ.com reported at the time.

Next to Joseph's unconscious body were spoons, envelopes containing heroin residue and two crack rocks.

She received a year in jail and was released just over a year ago.

And in 2008, Joseph was arrested after leaving her other two children, aged 11 and 2, alone at home so she could get high in a parking lot.

Those children were taken into custody, although it's not clear for how long, according to reports at the time.

Over the last 20 years Joseph has also been convicted on charges from seven arrests ranging from possession of heroin and cocaine to resisting arrest or eluding after being told to stop.