2-Year-Old Left Alone for 9 Hours While Mother ‘Grabbed Medicine,’ Police Say

INDIANAPOLIS — A 27-year-old mother, Tenisha Echols, was arrested this week on multiple felony child neglect charges after allegedly leaving her four children—including a 2-year-old daughter—unattended in a messy apartment for more than nine hours.

Police say the incident came to light when the oldest child, an 8-year-old girl, called her grandmother pleading for help. She told authorities the children hadn’t seen their mother all day and were left with only one meal and no adult supervision.

When officers arrived at the home, they described a chaotic scene: toys scattered everywhere, no beds made, and even a baby drinking water from the toilet. The youngest child, just four months old, was found sleeping unsupervised in a pack-and-play.

Echols reportedly admitted she left the children alone more than once, saying it was simply too hard to take all four out together. She claimed she went out to pick up medicine and had been gone for less than 20 minutes—but investigators say she was missing for the better part of the day.

This isn’t Echols’s first legal trouble. In 2019, her six-month-old daughter tragically died after she was left unattended. At that time, Echols was given probation for child neglect. Friday’s arrest comes just 41 days before that probation was set to end.

Echols is currently in Marion County Jail without bond for violating her probation. The charges include four counts of felony child neglect, and court records show she’s due back in court in July, with a trial possibly starting in August.

Why This Case Matters

Legal experts say leaving very young children unattended—even briefly—can easily become dangerous. In this case, repeated neglect combined with a prior tragedy drew sharp criticism.

Tensions are rising in Indianapolis as officials weigh whether existing child-welfare policies adequately protect vulnerable kids—and whether parents like Echols should face more oversight before gaining custody again.