Child, autistic teen locked in U-Haul as mom ate at Waffle House, Mississippi cops say
A Mississippi woman is facing child abuse charges after she’s accused of leaving her children inside a U-Haul truck while she and a friend dined at Waffle House, authorities say.
Officers arrived at the restaurant in Laurel just after 6 p.m. on Oct. 13 to find a 12-year-old and a 16-year-old locked in the back of the moving truck, Police Chief Tommy Cox told McClatchy News. Cox said a witness called police after spotting the two kids being locked in the vehicle.
Their mother, whom McClatchy News is declining to identify to protect the identity of her children, and her friend, a man from Gulfport, were arrested on felony child abuse charges, according to police. Both were booked into jail and held on $10,000 bond, county jail records show.
The mother was released on bail Monday afternoon, but the friend remains in custody.
Child Protective Services has since taken custody of the two kids, one of whom has autism, The Laurel Leader Call reported, citing an arrest affidavit.
Authorities said the U-Haul had a “lived-in” appearance with blankets and a mattress tossed in the back, according to the newspaper. There was little to no ventilation, Cox added, and temperatures in the van reached 85 degrees by the time officers arrived.
“It’s just unconscionable that an adult would go inside somewhere to eat and leave two children locked in the back of a U-Haul van,” the police chief said. “That’s no place for a child to be.”
During a court appearance Friday, the mother informed the judge she had temporary housing but is experiencing homelessness and is unemployed, the Leader Call reported.
Laurel is about 32 miles northeast of Hattiesburg.
This story was originally published October 18, 2021 at 3:32 PM.