NEW ROADS — The mother of a one-year-old girl has been arrested and charged with cruelty to a juvenile after she allegedly left her child in a car that was turned off.
It was around 7:50 p.m. on Tuesday, July 2 when the New Roads Police Dept. received a call for a child unattended in a car outside the Walmart in Pointe Coupee Parish.
“A passerby said a child was left in the car alone. The first officer arrived on scene and confirmed there was an unattended juvenile in the car, crying and banging on the window to get out,” said New Roads PD Officer Aaron Edwards.
That’s when Officer Edwards arrived on scene.
“The child appeared to be in heat distress because the car was turned off so we broke the glass away from the child. She was in the front seat for some reason so we broke the back window,” said Officer Edwards.
Officials immediately took the little girl and put her in a police car with the AC running to help cool her off.
“She seemed to be overheated so we called the fire department and Acadian. Acadian transported her to a hospital. She was stable and she has since been discharged,” said Officer Edwards.
After the little girl was rescued, officers discovered that the mother was seen walking into the Walmart in New Roads around 6:45 p.m. The police department received a call for a distressed child around 7:50. It was nearly an hour and 15 minutes that the child had been locked in the car, with the ignition turned off.
“The mother, Kayla Ball, was immediately arrested and charged with cruelty to juveniles,” said New Roads Police Chief Cedrick Epps.
The Dept. of Child & Family Services has since taken custody of the little girl. She will likely be released to another guardian’s custody.
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