Mom left 4 kids outside in ‘inhumane’ conditions for months, Kentucky cops say
A mother has been sentenced after being accused of leaving her four children alone in “inhumane conditions” outside, Kentucky court documents say.
The 35-year-old mom was arrested Aug. 29, 2024, on multiple charges, including wanton endangerment of a minor and abandonment of a minor, after police got a report from a school about children appearing malnourished, Louisville authorities said.
McClatchy News is not naming the woman to protect the identity of her children.
Officers showed up to the scene after two school administrators reported that siblings, who were not at school, were possibly in danger, according to an arrest affidavit.
Authorities said they found the children “living in inhumane living conditions outside” the residence, showing signs of neglect and without any parental supervision. They were also without food and had visible injuries, according to court records.
“They’ve been treated like dogs and animals. They’d sneak down here when she was gone to get something to eat or drink. They wasn’t allowed in their home,” the children’s great-grandmother told WHAS 11.
Police reported that the kids had been sleeping outside in various areas near and at the residence, which included sleeping in chairs, a swing and in a tent on the property. The victims said the mom was aware of the living conditions and would leave them unsupervised for days at a time.
While the police arrest citation reports three children, court documents show there were four kids who were abandoned at the home.
The woman told authorities the home was not livable and she hadn’t been inside for months, according to court records.
Court documents show that she took an Alford plea for 11 counts, including four counts of wanton endangerment, four counts of endangering the welfare of a minor and three counts of abandonment of a minor on July 10.
She’s been sentenced to three years in prison, WLKY reported.