A 39-year-old mother in Shreveport, Louisiana, faces charges including medical neglect after allegedly failing to bring her 6-year-old daughter to follow-up appointments following brain surgery. The child developed serious complications post-operation, prompting an investigation by child services. Police arrested the mother after she fled with her children during a welfare check.
LaShonda Nikol Zenon, 39, was arrested on March 10, 2026, in Shreveport, Louisiana, following concerns raised by medical staff about her 6-year-old daughter's care after brain surgery. The child underwent the procedure in October 2025 at the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Affiliate Clinic at Feist-Weiller Cancer Center to remove a craniopharyngioma, a type of brain mass.
Post-surgery, the girl experienced severe complications, including hypopituitarism, diabetes insipidus, and adrenal insufficiency, all requiring ongoing medical monitoring. Doctors reported that seven appointments were missed and six were canceled since the operation, with repeated attempts to contact Zenon proving unsuccessful.
The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) initiated a medical neglect investigation on January 14, 2026, and secured a custody order for the child on February 26. Shreveport Police Department detectives attempted to locate the family at their home in the 9000 block of Royalton Drive but initially failed.
On March 10, after obtaining a court order, officers conducted surveillance. Around 5:30 p.m., as Zenon loaded items into a vehicle, police approached. She reportedly ran inside, refused to answer the door, and then fled out the back with her children, climbing over a six-foot privacy fence. Officers pursued on foot and took her into custody shortly after.
The children, described as crying, sweating, and visibly shaken with minor scrapes, were handed over to DCFS at the scene. Zenon told investigators she suspected police presence after an anonymous call and seeing officers nearby. She admitted the missed appointments, stating she had been too busy to take the child to the doctor.
Zenon faces charges of possession of Schedule I narcotics, resisting an officer by flight, obstruction of court orders, and possession of controlled dangerous substances in the presence of juveniles. She is held at Caddo Parish Jail on $10,000 bond, with no immediate court date available.
