Officers Find Two-Year-Old Home Alone After Mom is Arrested for DUI

A 21-year-old woman is being charged with cruelty to children after she left her two-year-old son alone, trapped inside of his room, with no food or drink, in a home filled with garbage, according to a press release from the.

Stephanie Davis, who lives on Boxer Lane in Cumming, is being charged with cruelty to children in the second degree and reckless conduct.

The disturbing incident began on Friday, June 22, around 8:40 a.m. after a family member contacted the sheriff’s office following a call from Davis around 4:40 a.m. about the child.

Davis made the call from the jail. A Roswell police officer told Patch she had been arrested for speeding and driving under the influence.

The family member, who lives an hour away from the Davis residence, said Davis told her that someone was watching her son. But after getting additional information from Davis, the family member told the sheriff’s office that she believed the child was alone at the home and was unattended.

When deputies arrived, they found the residence locked and no adult at home, but did see a barking dog running from one open window to another. As the deputies worked their way around the house, they could hear the cries of a child coming from inside.

“Because of the extenuating circumstances, one of the deputies pulled the screen off of the window and entered the home,” said Sheriff Ted Paxton in the press release. “The deputy then made his way to the room where he heard the child crying. What he found was a child that was trapped in his room by a closed door, equipped with a safety device on the inside doorknob, that prevented the child from opening the door."

"The child was dressed in a dirty white t-shirt. He had removed his diaper himself and it was on the floor, filled to overflowing with feces. The child had feces on his hands, feet and leg," said Paxton.

After the deputy located the young child, he handed him to the other deputy through a window. Upon further inspection, authorities also found what appeared to be bug bites, possibly from fleas, on the legs of the child.

“Deputies on the scene began to clean the feces off of the child and put a clean diaper on him," said Paxton. "Because of the disarray of the home, deputies could not tell if the clothes on the floor were clean or dirty. One deputy got clothes and food from his home and gave it to the child, while another went to a local store to get the child something to drink. Deputies said it was clear that the child was very hungry.”

It is unknown how long the child had been alone prior to the phone call from the mother to the relative.

The press release stated, the deputies at the scene described the home as “filthy." The odor emanating from inside of the house was a mixture of rotting food, urine and feces.

Two rooms, including the room where the child was found, had only a mattress and box springs on the floor. Clothing was thrown on the floors of the bedrooms, bathroom and sofa. Towels and used razors were found on the floor outside of the shower, as well as overflowing trash.

In the kitchen, deputies found dirty dishes, rotting food and trash. Outside of the residence, on the porch, were more than 50 bags filled with garbage. In addition, panes were broken out of some of the windows, including the room where the child was found.

Authorities also found two dogs inside the residence, one that was locked in a cage. Both dogs were removed from the residence and were given water. Animal Control later transported the two dogs after no one could be found to care for them.

“I commend the deputies for their response and for their caring actions at the scene,” said Paxton. “This was a situation that could have ended quite differently. Thankfully, the child was located and is now safe.”

The Department of Family and Children’s Services (DEFACS) was contacted and the child is now in protective custody.

The mother remains incarcerated at the Fulton County Jail where a hold has been placed on her for the Forsyth County charges.