Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
- A Taylorsville mother was arrested for investigation of child abandonment.
- Her children were found sleeping in a police department parking lot.
- The children claimed unsafe conditions at home due to their mother's heavy drinking.
TAYLORSVILLE — A Taylorsville mother was arrested early Monday after her children were found sleeping in the police department's parking lot.
The investigation began early Monday when officers reported "there was a 5-year-old boy and 17-year-old girl sleeping in the Taylorsville Police Department's lobby," who were originally "found sleeping in a car overnight and had stated they were doing so because of the unsafe conditions of their home, due to their mother," according to a police booking affidavit.
The children claimed that their 18-year-old sister had gotten into a fight with their mother two days ago over the mother "being highly intoxicated," the affidavit states. The older sister left the house following the fight. The 17-year-old girl then left work to check on her younger brother at home, according to police.
When she arrived at home, she found her brother alone but did not find her mother, the affidavit states. The girl then left the home with her brother. She went back the next night and originally could not find their mother again, but then spotted her walking back to their apartment about 11:30 p.m.
"(The mother) appeared highly intoxicated and was carrying a bag of beer that looked like she just bought from the store. The 17-year-old knew (her mother) isn't safe to be around when she's intoxicated as (the mother) is almost always highly intoxicated," according to the affidavit.
The girl says she watched as her mother was unable to open the front door of her own apartment and then began knocking on the door, even though her mother should have known no one else was home, the affidavit states.
"The 17-year-old was afraid to go home and knew that (her mother) was not in any state to care for her 5-year-old brother, so she called a friend for help. Since they had no place to stay, they slept in a car," according to the affidavit.
When police went to question the mother on Monday, she said she knew her children had been missing for two days, the affidavit states.
"I asked (her) what she did to find them? (The mother) said she didn't know what to do because she lost her purse, wallet, phone, and keys when she was out drinking too much with a friend two days ago. (She) said she just sat at home waiting for her kids to return. I asked (her) why she didn't go for help by asking a neighbor, the apartment complex office, or any public store to use their phone to call the police? (The mother) said she didn't know what to do," the arresting officer wrote in the affidavit.
As the officer went over a list of options the mother could have taken, "(she) just continued to say she didn't know what to do and she didn't have her phone," police stated.
The mother was placed under arrest for investigation of two counts of child abandonment after police determined that she "intentionally failed to make reasonable arrangements for the safety, care, and physical custody of her two children. (The mother) failing to use any means at all to locate her two missing children showed she had no intent to care for her missing children and hence intentionally failed to provide her missing children with food, shelter, or clothing as they were left alone to fend for themselves."
