KENT, Wash. — Kent Police are reiterating the old adage “if you see something, say something” as it may have saved a 6-year-old child’s life, along with two dogs, over the weekend.
On Feb. 23, a witness called 911 to report that a woman was walking in the rain on Central Ave. N with a very young child and two malnourished dogs. The witness told dispatchers that the woman was screaming angrily at either the child or dogs, or both, and allegedly said something along the lines of wanting to “kill them.”
Officers responded to the area but were unable to find the woman and the child. Additional witnesses called 911 a short time later to report the woman was still screaming and that she went into a building with the child. She came out without the boy, but was holding his jacket, prompting concerns for his safety.
The woman, child and dogs were soon found in a car parked behind a business. The car belonged to an acquaintance but he did not want the, in the car, police said.
The 6-year-old child was taken from the car “completely soaked and shivering.” He was wrapped in a blanket and put in a heated patrol car with an officer. Officers said the child appeared “significantly underweight” for his age. The very first 911 caller thought the child was around three years old.
Officers got the child a Happy Meal from McDonald’s and took the child in to wait for Child Protective Services (CPS). Officers said despite being hungry, the child was only able to eat just under two chicken nuggets before he was full.
Officers also described the two dogs as “emaciated.” They were taken in by Regional Animal Services of King County for treatment and services.
The woman told police that she had been staying with a friend in Seattle and was kicked out. She said she used the last of her money to take a bus to Kent but did not have a plan or resources to feed or house her child and dogs. Police said she is from the Everett area.
The 42-year-old mother is being charged with criminal mistreatment for the “totality of the circumstances and the ongoing danger she exposed to her child,” Kent Police said. She will also have to work with a CPS caseworker.
“These are complex cases, especially when it’s apparent that ongoing behaviors have resulted in the malnourishment and endangerment of a child. We are thankful for the 911 callers who cared enough to lead us to this situation so the child and dogs could be removed to safety. The mom will be led to services, and we hope she accepts them,” Kent Police wrote on Facebook.
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