(Kenosha County Sheriff)
KENOSHA, Wis. — A 35-year-old Kenosha woman is facing a felony child neglect charge after her 3-year-old son was found outside alone, wearing only underwear, in a high-traffic neighborhood early Sunday morning.
Mary E. Spates was arrested and charged Wednesday in Kenosha County Circuit Court with one count of child neglect involving a child under six, a Class I felony. Prosecutors added a repeater enhancer based on her prior misdemeanor convictions. Court Commissioner William Michel II set cash bail at $1,000. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 10.
According to the criminal complaint, Kenosha police were dispatched around 6 a.m. on June 29 to the 2500 block of 53rd Street after neighbors discovered the young child alone, crying and calling for his mother. Officers found the child across the street from Spates’ residence, barefoot and unsupervised in what police described as a high-crime and high-traffic area.
Witnesses told police the child was frequently left unsupervised outside. Responding officers reported the front door to Spates’ home was open, and the child’s uncle—who was inside—appeared intoxicated and unaware the boy had left.
Spates was not home at the time and could not be reached by officers. She was located by police two days later and brought in for questioning. According to the complaint, Spates told investigators she had gone to buy cigarettes and believed her brother could supervise her son, though she admitted not confirming his sobriety or alertness.
Officers noted that if not for the intervention of concerned neighbors, the child could have wandered into the nearby roadway or otherwise been harmed. The boy was released to his grandmother, and a protective order was initiated.
Spates has multiple prior convictions, including disorderly conduct, obstructing an officer, and unlawful possession of a self-defense device, according to court records.
If convicted, she faces up to 3 years and 6 months in prison, with an additional 2 years possible due to the repeater allegation.
.
.
.
.
2 Responses
Yay!!!! Mother of the year!
Defund the welfare and housing systems!