A mother is facing criminal charges after allegedly leaving her 6-year-old child alone on the Long Beach boardwalk so she could take a long walk, according to police.

The incident occurred just before noon Thursday near Laurelton Boulevard.

Police say the child’s mother, 34-year-old Nousaiba Sifaddine of Lynbrook, left the child unattended for an unknown length of time while she went for what investigators described as an “extended walk.”

Officers found the child alone and remained with them until a relative could take custody.

Colleen Bennett, a Long Beach mother of two, expressed disbelief.

“I would never leave them without being in my sight — especially near a body of water,” she said. “There’s a million possibilities where everything could have gone wrong. And it’s 100% preventable. She could have kept her child safe.”

Visitors to the area echoed similar concerns.

“You hear all the time about kids drowning and things like that. You could just walk over,” said Blanca Mazariegos, who was visiting the boardwalk. “Thank goodness it didn’t happen — but it’s so easy.”

Sifaddine was arrested and is being charged with endangering the welfare of a child. She is expected to appear in Long Beach City Court on Friday.

Authorities report that the child was not physically harmed during the incident.