Michigan Mother Allegedly Put 11-Month-Old Twin Daughters Inside Suitcase, Left It On Curb Like Garbage
A mother in Flint, Michigan was arrested for allegedly putting her 11-month-old twin daughters in a suitcase and leaving it on the curb as if it were trash. WNEM is reporting that as a safety precaution, police officers assisted Child Protective Services workers on Wednesday with removing four children from a home in the 500 block of West Pierson Road.
When they arrived at the scene around 6 p.m., they noticed 26-year-old Katrina Childress taking several items, including a suitcase, to the road before running down the street to another residence.
Flint police officers were able to capture the woman after a brief foot chase and bring her back.
When officers returned to the home, they went inside to check on the children but only spotted two boys, aged three and four, inside. The twin girls were missing. When police officers were unable to locate the children inside the home, they began searching the area.
The twin girls were found inside a suitcase that Childress allegedly left by the curb.
Police say the twins were transported to Hurley Medical Center, where they are listed in good condition.
Authorities say the mother was also taken to an area hospital for a mental evaluation. It was reported that Childress suffers from a mental illness.
Flint mother leaves 2 infant girls in suitcase on curbhttps://t.co/Jv8i8WusR5 pic.twitter.com/ET6KV64Pb0
— The Detroit News (@detroitnews) April 19, 2018
Neighbors were stunned after learning that a mother allegedly placed her twin daughters in a suitcase and left them by the curb. Some called the incident “sad” and wondered how Childress thought she would get away with doing something like that.
One neighbor said she saw the incident as it unfolded, adding that Flint police were present as she was taking several items to the curb. She said before Childress took off running, she threw the last items she had in her hands to the ground.
Flint police cordon the area to conduct an investigation after finding the twins inside the suitcase.
UPDATE: Flint mom charged after putting children in suitcase upon CPS visit https://t.co/LLyGVflXbB
— Mid-Michigan NOW (@midmichigannow) April 19, 2018
Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton said the mother has a history with Child Protective Services and that she and her children were living in “deplorable conditions.”
He went on say that all they “know about the mom is that she has been on MDDHS’s radar before and they were aware of her. At one point in the past, she was put on medication for mental illness. It’s our understanding that she went off her medication and started acting erratically.”
Childress was charged with two counts of second-degree child abuse and two counts of unlawful imprisonment.
