Inset: Shannon Leigh Blacka (West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation). Background: The intersection where Blacka’s 2-year-old child was allegedly found wandering alone (Google Maps).
A 31-year-old mother in West Virginia is accused of leaving her 2-year-old daughter to wander alone in the middle of what police described as the “busiest intersection in the city” before the toddler was rescued by a good Samaritan.
Shannon Leigh Blacka surrendered to authorities Monday and was charged with one count of gross neglect of a child creating substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury, court records reviewed by Law&Crime show.
Troopers with the West Virginia State Police responded shortly after 2:30 p.m. to a 911 call reporting an unattended toddler standing in the intersection of East State Avenue and North Main Street in Terra Alta, according to a report from Clarksburg, West Virginia, NBC affiliate WBOY. The intersection is about 180 miles northeast of Charleston, West Virginia.
Upon arriving, first responders found that an unidentified bystander had retrieved the toddler from the roadway and stayed with her until law enforcement arrived to take custody.
It took authorities about 27 minutes to trace the child back to a residence on East Avenue that was about 100 yards away from the intersection, area CBS affiliate WDTV reported. During that time, police said no one from the home came looking for the girl.
Troopers, accompanied by personnel from West Virginia Child Protective Services, went to the home where they found Blacka living with three other children.
Investigators described the conditions inside the residence as “unsuitable for children.”
Not only were live roaches allegedly crawling throughout the home, but authorities said live chickens were being kept in one of the cribs where a child slept. Alongside the crib was reportedly a bucket containing human feces that was within reach of all the children.
While at the residence, troopers said they watched the 2-year-old retrieve a cigarette from Blacka’s purse and hold it in her hand. They also observed an 8-month-old with a rash on her thighs and back as well as scratches on her forehead.
Additionally, investigators said they witnessed a 4-year-old punch the toddler “hard in her face,” adding that Blacka showed no reaction to the assault.
Authorities did not disclose how the toddler managed to leave the home or how long she had been in the intersection before the passerby intervened.
Blacka was booked into the Tygart Valley Regional Jail, where she remained in custody on $25,000 bond as of Tuesday. She is scheduled to appear in court for her preliminary hearing on July 14, records show.
