A Rhode Island mother was arrested Tuesday after she allegedly left her 8-month-olddaughter alone in a cold car for 10 minutes while she shopped at the Wrentham Premium Outlets, authorities said.

Yau Liu, 27, of East Providence, R.I., was charged with child endangerment, according to Wrentham police.

She admitted to leaving the baby unattended for 10 minutes and said she was “not aware that it was against the law,’’ the deputy police chief, Bill McGrath, said in an interview.

McGrath said he did not know if Liu had been arraigned on Tuesday. David Traub, a spokesman for Norfolk County District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey, said the office was looking into the case.

The baby was discovered shortly after noontime when a shopper heard a crying child in the parking lot, McGrath said. The person looked into the car and saw the baby was alone. The car’s engine was not running, and no one was in sight. Police were then called, according to the deputy chief.

Liu returned to the car before police arrived, McGrath said.

“Regardless of the law and the temperature, that behavior is unacceptable,’’ McGrath said. The temperature was 23 degrees at noon on Tuesday in Wrentham, according to the National Weather Service office in Taunton.

Using camera feeds from the shopping mall, police verified Liu’s claim that she was gone for 10 minutes, McGrath said.

The baby showed no signs of trauma but was taken to Norwood Hospital as a precaution.

The state Department of Children and Families was notified, but the case was referred to the Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth and Families, McGrath said. As of Tuesday night, the Rhode Island agency could not be reached for comment.

Astead W. Herndon can be reached at astead.herndon@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @AsteadWH.