Inset: Keenia Haynes (Shelby County Sheriff’s Office). Background: The Memphis, Tennessee, home where authorities say Keenia Haynes left four of her children unattended (Google Maps).
A Tennessee mother is facing child neglect charges after police say two toddlers were found wandering into traffic and narrowly avoided being struck by a vehicle, leading officers to a Memphis home where two infant siblings were allegedly left alone in unsafe conditions. Investigators also claim one child was seen attempting to drink bleach.
“A bleach bottle was located in the kitchen and the 3-year-old was trying to put it in a bottle,” police wrote in an arrest affidavit for Keenia Haynes.
Haynes, 35, has been charged with four counts of child neglect after allegedly leaving four of her eight children by themselves during the day while she went to Kroger. According to the affidavit, Memphis Police were responding to a reported “child welfare concern” when they saw Haynes’ 3-year-old and 2-year-old “run into the street.”
Officers quickly stepped in and made contact with the toddlers, who then directed them back to a residence in the 3900 block of Ridgedale Street, authorities said.
“Officers entered the residence and found no adults present,” the affidavit states. “Inside, they located two infant twins secured in car seats.”
Police said the infants were asleep “and would not wake up.” The home allegedly had no working air conditioning and “was not clean,” according to the affidavit.
Paramedics were called to the scene to examine the babies, who police said “appeared small for their age.”
“At approximately 3:16 p.m., Keenia Haynes, returned to the residence carrying a beer,” the document alleges. “Haynes stated she had gone to Kroger to purchase food. She claimed she had only been gone approximately 30 minutes.”
Haynes’ other children — ages 7, 8, 12 and 13 — were at school when police responded to her home last Wednesday, the affidavit says. The Tennessee Department of Children’s Services was contacted to make custody and care arrangements for all eight children. Police did not report whether there were any relatives who could take them in.
Haynes is due in court on Monday for a bond hearing.
The post Little girl found trying to chug bleach from bottle after cops saw her and 2-year-old sibling run into traffic, nearly get hit by car: Police first appeared on Law & Crime.
