Inset: Latrica Upshaw (Craighead County Sheriff”s Office). Background: A section of Center Street in Jonesboro, Arkansas (Google Maps).
An Arkansas woman faces allegations of leaving three young children unattended in a home described as filthy and then misleading authorities by claiming a relative was supervising them.
Latrica Upshaw, aged 30, has been charged with third-degree escape from custody, as indicated by jail records reviewed by Law&Crime.
In addition to the escape charge, Upshaw is facing three counts of first-degree endangerment to the welfare of a minor, along with resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, and driving while intoxicated, as reported by Jonesboro Right Now.
The incident unfolded on Tuesday shortly after 9 p.m. when a police officer in Jonesboro approached a van driven by Upshaw just as she parked it at a residence on Center Street. According to court documents accessed by the local media, the officer observed that Upshaw’s eyes appeared bloodshot and watery, and there was a noticeable smell of alcohol.
Upon requesting proof of insurance, the officer alleges that Upshaw attempted to enter her home. Officers instructed her to remain outside, and after a brief struggle, she was taken into custody. During this time, the sound of crying children was reportedly heard coming from inside the house.
Upon entering the home, officers discovered three children, ranging from nine months to five years old, living in unsanitary conditions. One child was found wearing a soiled diaper and covered in feces, and the home was noted to be in a state of severe neglect.
Though Upshaw allegedly claimed an aunt was looking after the children, the officers found no one but the three young children inside.
The defendant was arrested, but not before attempting to run away from officers, according to Jonesboro Right Now.
Then, once Upshaw was caught again, she would not agree to a blood alcohol content test, police said.
The defendant is currently detained on a $75,000 bond in the Craighead County Jail, records show.
