Two Arizona parents were arrested for child neglect after they left their 11-year-old son home alone when they traveled out of state for two weeks during the holidays.
Bobby Jo Green, 40, and Melissa Green, 34, were accosted by the cops at their house on Sunday, December 12, 2021, following reports from a concerned citizen that they did not bring their son with them. Upon investigating, the boy told the cops that his parents instructed him to skip school for two weeks and heat his own frozen food if he got hungry.
While he seemed okay and got by with the stocks of food left for him, the police were concerned that he missed school. The family lived in a small Arizona town with less than 100 people.
In a statement, the Cochise County Sheriff's office said that the child had been turned over to Child Protective Services as his parents had been booked in jail. They are facing three counts of child neglect and have to file a bond of $100,000 for their temporary freedom.
Police Saw the Boy Home Alone
The police witnessed for themselves that the boy was home alone when they arrived at the Green's house. He relayed that his mother left town first while his father followed after Thanksgiving.
After their discovery, the authorities tried to reach out to the parents and other family members. Since these efforts were unsuccessful, the boy had to be turned over to the local Child Protective Services. The Greens were arrested just before New Year's Eve when they decided to return home from an unknown location.
However, according to Law & Crime, the mom and dad have records for child abuse. One of the parents has a history of "contributing to the dependency or delinquency of a child," while the other parent was charged with child neglect and abuse of a minor before.
Investigations are still ongoing, and it's unclear if Bobby Jo and Melissa hired their own lawyers. In Arizona, child neglect may meet a minimum of a four-year prison term as a Class 2 felony if done with intention.
Florida Parents Also Charged with Child Neglect
Meanwhile, in Florida, a father and mother also landed in jail for child neglect. In December, Kenneth Trout and Alexandra Ebey were arrested separately for handcuffing and locking up a young girl in the closet for nearly a month.
During a wellness check, officials of the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) discovered that the girl appeared malnourished, wounded, and needed medical attention. After further investigations, the police learned that the child would be habitually locked up as punishment.
The neighbors knew about the abuse but could not find any proof until they were not able to see the girl for weeks. So, they called up the DCF to conduct a wellness check. In Florida, persons guilty of child neglect may be imprisoned for five years or under probation for five years. They could also be fined $5,000 for the felony.
