Two girls, a disabled 9-year-old and a 16-month-old, were placed in the custody of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services after police allegedly found them home alone in the middle of the night, the Chicago Tribune reports.
28-year-old single mother Arezou Khamiss of Wheaton was charged with criminal neglect of a disabled person, and endangering the life of a child, according to reporters. While her criminal charges may require the services of a criminal defense attorney, she likely will need to contact an Illinois family lawyer to pursue a child custody action.
DuPage County Circuit Judge Liam Brennan set Ms. Khamiss' bail at $30,000.
A neighbor of the family contacted police to report a crying child at 3 a.m. on Jan. 25, according to a statement attributed to Assistant State's Attorney Mary Cronin. She told Judge Brennan that Wheaton police discovered the baby crying and the "profoundly disabled" older child unable to communicate, as reported by the Tribune.
Ms. Cronin explained the conditions of apartment to Judge Brennan, as quoted by the Tribune:
"The officer said the apartment had no electricity and that there were roaches all over the place."
The two girls reportedly were not injured or sick, but were checked out at a hospital before being placed into state custody.
Although Ms. Khamiss reportedly told police she was gone for only 20 minutes, police said they believed she was gone for at least two hours. If convicted, Ms. Khamiss faces up to five years in prison. The fate of the girls is unclear.
Related Resources:
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Child Abuse & Neglect (Child Welfare Information Gateway)
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What are Child Abuse and Neglect? (Il. Dept. of Children & Family Services)
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