Inset: Keenia Haynes (Shelby County Sheriff’s Office). Background: The home in Memphis, Tenn., where Keenia Haynes allegedly left four of her kids home alone (Google Maps).
Two toddlers in Tennessee were allegedly found wandering into traffic and nearly hit by a car, leading officers to a home where the children and their infant siblings were left alone and without air conditioning. Cops say one of the kids was spotted trying to drink bleach.
“A bleach bottle was located in the kitchen and the 3-year-old was trying to put it in a bottle,” an arrest affidavit for Keenia Haynes says.
Haynes, 35, is facing four counts of child neglect after allegedly leaving four of her eight children home alone during the day while she went to Kroger. Memphis Police say they saw her 3-year-old and 2-year-old “run into the street” while responding to a report of a “child welfare concern,” according to the affidavit.
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Officers intervened and made contact with the children, who pointed back toward their home in the 3900 block of Ridgedale Street.
“Officers entered the residence and found no adults present,” the affidavit says. “Inside, they located two infant twins secured in car seats.”
The infants were allegedly asleep “and would not wake up,” according to police. The residence had no air conditioning “and was not clean,” per the affidavit.
Paramedics were called and evaluated the infants, who “appeared small for their age,” the affidavit says.
“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’ and nearly get hit by a car — mom was out drinking: Police first appeared on Law & Crime.
