DES MOINES, Iowa - A Des Moines mother was arrested Monday after police say her 2-year-old son was found alone, sucking on a frozen chicken breast.
Hallie Amick, 30, now faces charges of child endangerment for the incident, according to WHO-TV. Police say they went to a home in the 100 block of East Emma Ave. around 10:15 a.m. Monday after someone called 911 reporting a toddler left home alone.
When officers arrived, they found a 2-year-old male in the backyard, wearing nothing but a full and sagging diaper. Police say the child was sucking on a frozen chicken breast.
A small dog in the backyard was observed trying to jump up on the child to get the chicken.
Officers spoke with a neighbor who told them the child was often left unattended. She said she would see the man and woman leave the home, but not with the child.
Another neighbor told police she had found the child in the middle of the street at one point shortly after the family moved in, and said that they did not watch the child very well.
Police say when Amick arrived on the scene, she lied and told them this was the first time she had left the child alone, but after police confronted her with the neighbors’ claims she admitted she left the boy alone on “occasions.”
When police searched the home they found marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Amick was charged with possession of schedule 1 drugs.
She was taken into custody and booked into the Polk County Jail. Tuesday, she posted bond and was released.
