A 31-year-old woman surrendered to authorities after her 2-year-old daughter was found standing unattended in a busy intersection in Terra Alta.
Shannon Leigh Blacka was arrested Monday and charged with one count of gross neglect of a child creating substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury.
West Virginia State Police responded to a 911 call shortly after 2:30 p.m. and found that a bystander had already removed the child from the roadway at East State Avenue and North Main Street. It took officers about 27 minutes to trace the toddler to a home roughly 100 yards away, during which time no one from the residence came looking for her.
At the home, investigators reported unsuitable conditions including live roaches, chickens kept in a crib, and a bucket of human feces within reach of the children. They also observed the 2-year-old holding a cigarette from her mother's purse and an 8-month-old with a rash and scratches.
Blacka was booked into the Tygart Valley Regional Jail on a $25,000 bond. She is scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on July 14.