Two Santa Clarita Valley mothers were arrested over the last week for allegedly putting their children in harm’s way, authorities said Thursday.

One woman left her 4-year-old at home alone while she went to work and another drove under the influence with an infant in the car.

Elizabeth Hernandez, 22, of Valencia, was arrested Wednesday after a neighbor reported that her 4-year-old son had been left alone for hours at her home on the 23900 block of Francisco Way, said Lt. Brenda Cambra.

“A neighbor had seen her son outside of the house for two hours.” Cambra said. “That is certainly endangering a child. It’s a sad situation when someone needs to work and doesn’t have daycare. A 4-year-old left home alone is in such a vulnerable state that any tragedy can happen.”

Deputies went to Hernandez’s house at about 12:30 p.m. Wednesday and found the child unattended, Cambra said, and it’s unclear whether the woman had left her son home alone before.

Hernandez was arrested on suspicion of endangering the life of a child and was being held on $100,000 bail Thursday, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department arrest records.

Three days earlier, a Canyon Country mother was arrested after she allegedly drove her baby to the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station while under the influence of methamphetamine, authorities said.

Monica Marie Merriman, 32, who lives in the 19000 block of Stillmore Street, drove to the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station on July 24 with her 10-month-old baby and 17-year-old nephew. Merriman wanted to pick up property from a suspect who was arrested the night before, Cambra said. 

“While (Merriman) is talking to the deputy sheriff, he notices she is under the influence of a controlled substance,” Cambra said. “They suspected methamphetamine, but it hasn’t been analyzed yet.”

Merriman was arrested on suspicion of being under the influence of a controlled substance and endangering the life of a child and was released on $100,000 bond, according to sheriff’s records.