A West Virginia woman is facing a child neglect charge after her 6-year-old son, who has autism, jumped from a second-story apartment window on Monday. The boy was taken to the hospital and later tested positive for cocaine, according to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies say they found a plate with cocaine residue and a drug ingestion device when they searched the apartment.
The child’s mother, Stevie Thibodeaux, 30, told investigators she was asleep when her son managed to get out through a window that was missing its screen. She reportedly admitted to using cocaine and leaving the plate in her closet, where the child could access it. The boy survived the fall, but the situation could have been catastrophic. Thibodeaux is now charged with child neglect creating risk of serious injury or death.
This case begs the question: how do we keep vulnerable kids safe when the adults around them aren’t making safe choices? For parents of children with autism or other special needs, escape prevention is a constant challenge. Window locks, alarms, and medication safes are all options worth considering. And when drugs are in the home, they need to be locked away, period. Do you think the legal system should focus on punishment or rehabilitation in cases like this? Let us know in the comments.
