The Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog
A 21-year-old Indiana mother is facing a felony neglect charge after investigators said her 4-year-old daughter was left without adequate supervision while staying with her at a hotel.
The investigation reportedly led to allegations unrelated to what initially brought police to the location, as authorities said they had reason to believe that the mother was soliciting customers for sex work from the room and allowing multiple people inside while her daughter was there. Investigators said they could not determine who was watching the child during those encounters.
According to reports, the police also found evidence of drug activity. They reported that a search of the mother’s cellphone showed that she used the internet to look up methamphetamine and ecstasy. Investigators later said the mother attempted to avoid a drug test by submitting water instead of urine. She allegedly admitted she substituted the sample because she had been smoking marijuana.
The case began June 3, when Evansville police were called after the mother’s daughter was seen running alone through a hotel parking garage. The girl, who is nonverbal and autistic, had reportedly gotten out of the hotel room.
Officers returned the child to the room, where they allegedly found her mother asleep on a couch. They noted that the woman allegedly told her boyfriend her daughter would “be dead” when he asked what she thought would happen to the child.
The Department of Child Services took the child from her mother, and it was reported that her father is currently taking care of her.
After the authorities obtained an arrest warrant, the woman was taken into custody and charged with neglect of a dependent resulting in bodily injury. She was booked into the Vanderburgh County Jail and released after posting a $1,000 cash bond.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a domestic violence offense, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.