Takai Beard makes schmucky decision to leave her kids in running car -- which was then stolen

Every parent knows it's a pain in the ass to take little kids in and out of the car when popping into a store, especially in cold weather.

But know what's an even bigger pain in the ass? Having your idling ride stolen with your kids inside, because you were too lazy to schlep them with you. Which is what happened this week to one Takai Gemini Beard.

Just after 7 a.m. on Wednesday, according to the Colorado Springs Police Department, a woman later identified as Beard left two young children -- the Colorado Springs Gazette reports that they're ages three and eight months -- in her unlocked, still running car while she visited a Walgreen's on the 900 block of North Circle Drive.

By the CSPD's estimate, Beard, who's listed on her Facebook page as an assistant manager at a beauty-supply store, didn't just rush in and out of the store. No, she was inside for approximately ten minutes -- and when she finally emerged, a man described in a department release only as "a suspect" had entered the vehicle and started to drive it away.

Before he got far, though, he apparently noticed two little ones inside, presumably muttered something along the lines of "Oh, shit!," quickly disembarked and got the hell out of there -- a smarter decision than Beard's.

Don't know who called the cops, but if it was beard, the decision backfired on her in a big way. She was given a summons for child abuse (neglect) and violating the unattended-motor-vehicle statute, which reads in part:

No person driving or in charge of a motor vehicle shall permit it to stand unattended without first stopping the engine, locking the ignition and removing the key, or when standing upon any perceptible grade without effectively setting the brake and turning the front wheels to the curb or side of the highway.

Oh yeah: Beard was ultimately booked on what's described as an unrelated warrant written in her name.

Beard's Facebook page remains online at this writing, with its most recent post featuring a link to look up a Gemini horoscope. However, the Gazette quotes a no-longer-visible item explaining that she "ran into the store 'real quick' to get her daughter milk before she dropped her kids off at daycare." She added, "I just want to thank God for protecting my babies throughout this foolishness."

Foolishness? Make that schmuckiness -- most of which can be traced directly to her.

Here's a look at her booking photos:

More from our Schmuck of the Week archive: "Bridgette Sandoval's schmucky excuse for weird police chase...or maybe it's brilliant."