Baby among 6 children left alone at home without a working toilet, NC sheriff says
A 2-month-old baby was among six children found unsupervised in a rural home that didn’t have a functioning toilet, according to investigators in eastern North Carolina.
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The discovery was made Sunday, when a sergeant with the Bertie County Sheriff’s Office visited a home in the 1200 block of Brick Mill Road near Aulander, officials said.
“The children ranged in age from 2 months to 11 years old,” the sheriff’s office said. “Authorities contacted the mother by phone and advised her to come home. Once the mother arrived, deputies spoke with her and inspected the home. Shortly after, the mother was placed in custody.”
Investigators did not say how long the children had been left unsupervised.
Bertie County Department of Social Services took custody of the children, and they were later turned over to the members of the family, officials said.
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The home inspection revealed “unsafe and unsanitary living conditions, including accumulated trash, insect infestation, nonfunctioning toilets and inadequate food,” an arrest warrant reports.
The 31-year-old mother of the children has been charged with 12 counts of misdemeanor child abuse, and six counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, officials said.
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Aulander is about a 110-mile drive northeast from downtown Raleigh.
