A teen mom faces child neglect charges after lawmen found her home in deplorable condition and determined she was on drugs.
The mother, Ashley D. Smith, 18, of Rock Island will face hearing on the charge Sept. 19. Meanwhile, her case remains under investigation by the Department of Children’s Services given the alleged child neglect.
It was Smith who called lawmen to her Butterfly Lane home, claiming she saw something moving around in her driveway. She then called for a second time, with the dispatcher saying she heard screaming over the line on the second call.
“It sounded like screaming and running,” said Sheriff’s Sgt. Billy Joe Crouch of the dispatcher’s description, noting Smith told 911 the sounds were on TV. “She said there was a horror movie going on.”
When the sergeant arrived, he found juveniles present at the house along with Smith’s 5-year-old son.
“Her son only had green underwear on, shoes and a blanket,” the officer reported. “He had fake blood all over his body.”
When asked where the child’s father was, the teen mother replied he was in jail on meth charges. The officers then asked to look around inside her house. They were immediately met with squalor.
“The house was extremely dirty and piled up and filled with trash, with only small pathways throughout the house,” Crouch revealed. “The children were all dirty, with very little clothes on and they appeared to be very hungry. Dishes were stacked with mold growing on them and rotten food was exposed.”
Crouch said he asked the young mother if she was on drugs. She denied the allegation and consented to undergo a drug screen. She tested positive for meth and marijuana.
“DCS decided the residence was unsafe and unhealthy for the children,” the deputy said.
Smith was arrested on the spot for child neglect.