GUILDERLAND — Police responded to Crossgates Mall at about 2 p.m. Friday for a report of a man and woman fighting while the woman was holding an infant. When they arrived, they learned that the woman had fled the mall, leaving her 10-month-old boy behind, according to a press release from the Guilderland Police.

Guilderland’s First Sergeant Michael Minette told The Enterprise that the woman who was given the baby told police she did not know Ajaniece T. Spooner. He also said that Spooner had used the baby as a shield while fighting with the loss-prevention officer.

Spooner, 22, of 286 Benjamin St., basement apartment, Albany, turned herself in to Guilderland Police a few hours later and was taken into custody. Police charged her with third-degree burglary, petit larceny, endangering the welfare of a child, and third-degree assault, the release says, and on an active bench warrant from Guilderland.

Spooner appeared in Guilderland Town Court Thursday, and Judge John Bailey waived her charges up to the Albany County grand jury. Spooner’s public defender said he anticipated a “global resolution” of her charges.

Events unfolded this way, according to the release:

Once at the mall, police investigated and learned that Spooner had been shoplifting in Lord & Taylor when she was confronted by a loss-prevention officer. Spooner “held the child in front of her, as to not allow loss prevention to handcuff her.” Next, she pushed and punched a store officer, causing minor injuries. She then walked to Forever 21, where an unidentified group of females began to fight with Lord & Taylor officers, “at the direction of Spooner.” Spooner gave the child to “an unknown female” and fled from the mall before police arrived. An officer took the boy and called Child Protective Services. Spooner turned herself in several hours later; the baby was given to his grandfather and Child Protective Services is investigating, the release says.

Spooner had been banned from Crossgates Mall indefinitely since 2011, according to the release. She also had another bench warrant from the New York State Police in Wilton for petit larceny, the release says.

Spooner was arraigned in Guilderland Town Court by Judge Richard Sherwood and remanded to Albany County’s jail on $5,000 bail; she is due back in court on Feb. 2.

Warrant charges, according to the release, were third-degree burglary, second-degree criminal impersonation, second-degree forgery, and petit larceny.

Updated on Feb. 3, 2017: Information from Ajaniece Spooner’s appearance on Feb. 2, 2017 in Guilderland Town Court was added.