Trigger Warning: This article mentions details about child abuse. Reader discretion is advised.
It’s said that a mother’s love for their child is selfless, one that remains despite their flaws. But, alas, not every mother seems to be like that in today’s time. It’s seen that there’s a significant rise in child abuse cases across America. Among those are horrific cases of child abuse and neglect that will leave you questioning human sentiments and ethics.
In the latest news, Tenisha Echols, a 27-year-old mother from Indiana, has been arrested and charged with four counts of felony child neglect after allegedly leaving her four young children—aged 8, 6, 2, and four months—home alone to visit her girlfriend. The incident occurred on June 9, when her 8-year-old daughter called her grandmother, saying they couldn’t find their mother.
After Her Baby Died, She Got Probation. Now Another Child’s Disturbing Call for Help Has Sparked New Charges https://t.co/3RKsN5MQX8
— People (@people) June 17, 2025
As per PEOPLE, when the grandmother arrived, she found the infant sleeping in a playpen and the 2-year-old drinking from a toilet. The house was reportedly in a terrible mess, with trash on the floors and no sheets on the beds.
“The apartment looked like an adult hadn’t been around in days,” an affidavit said. Police later discovered that Echols had only 41 days left on a two-year probation sentence from a 2019 case when her six-month-old daughter died after being left alone.
Tenisha Echols’ daughter, De’Reya, died on Dec. 27, 2019. She had avoided jail time then by pleading guilty to neglect resulting in serious injury. At the same time, a charge of neglect causing death was dropped. Meanwhile, in this case, Tenisha Echols allegedly confessed to regularly leaving her children alone, telling officers she “didn’t feel like dragging them all out of the house.”
Shocking, right? But it seemed normal for a mother like Echolas, who reportedly lied after the police questioned her. According to the outlet, the 27-year-old told the authorities that she had only been gone to Walgreens (a pharmacy store chain in America) for 20 minutes, leaving her kids alone. Still, the sight of the house indicated otherwise.
However, interviews with her children contradicted parts of her account. The kids told investigators they had accompanied their mother to a store and a laundromat earlier but that she left them alone in the apartment after they returned. When asked if any of Tenisha Echols’s other members were contacted or informed about the kids, she said that she was estranged from most of them as “they don’t agree with her sexuality.” She had not spoken to them about the situation.
As per an affidavit filed, the 8-year-old said their mother wakes up, feeds them, and leaves them alone all day. The mother of four was arrested on the spot and held on a probation violation. (via WTHR) While her bail is $4,000, she remains in custody and is ineligible for release. Her next court appearance is scheduled for July 2025, and a trial may begin in August.
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Cases like these remind us that while family can be everyone’s top priority, some people are merely evil and lack accountability, empathy, and remorse. Please remember, especially to all the young girls reading this, no amount of abuse should ever be tolerated in the name of love. This incident is a developing story; stay tuned for further updates!
