Nationwide — A West Virginia couple has been arrested after police found a 3-year-old baby stranded on the roof of a house in Gilmer County — a disturbing case that highlights a rising nationwide pattern of parental neglect. Sonya Adkins, 25, and Mason Adkins, 29, face a number of fees after officers discovered their kids in deplorable situations, prompting renewed concern over baby welfare enforcement throughout the nation.
In response to WDTV, officers responded to a house on River Road in Glenville on April 10 at roughly 11:45 a.m. Once they arrived, they noticed a 3-year-old baby crouched on the roof of the residence, about 12 ft above the bottom. The kid was “hunched over shivering from the chilly rain, crying and scared,” in keeping with the police report. A person inside the house was reportedly unaware that the kid had made it exterior and onto the roof.
Upon getting into the home, officers needed to unlock a number of doorways to achieve the youngsters. They found that the youngsters’s bed room had been locked from the skin. Inside, one other younger baby was discovered confined to a crib. Each kids had been reportedly lined in feces and urine, and police noticed feces smeared on the partitions, suggesting long-term neglect.
Deputies had been pressured to interrupt a window to rescue the kid from the roof. Authorities say the dad and mom, Sonya and Mason, had not checked on the youngsters since 8 p.m. the night time earlier than. Throughout questioning, each admitted to staying up all night time taking part in video video games, and Sonya confessed to utilizing marijuana.
Sonya and Mason Adkins have every been charged with two counts of kid neglect making a threat of significant damage or loss of life, and one rely of conspiracy. They’re being held at Central Regional Jail with bond set at $50,000 every.
This case emerges amid an alarming improve in baby neglect incidents nationwide. Specialists say the mix of financial strain, substance abuse, and digital dependancy has contributed to a surge in instances the place kids are left unattended or residing in unsafe environments. Baby welfare advocates are calling for extra proactive intervention and assist companies to forestall such tragedies earlier than they escalate.
