An Indiana woman, aged 42, has been apprehended by law enforcement after reportedly providing her 16-year-old daughter with vodka and leaving her in charge of a 1-year-old child. The toddler was later discovered wandering the streets in the middle of the night. The woman, identified as Ashley Ellis, was arrested on Thursday and faces charges of neglect of a dependent and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, according to court documents.
The incident occurred in the early hours of July 5 near a residence on Stevens Avenue in Evansville, approximately 165 miles southwest of Indianapolis. A female neighbor reportedly found Ellis’ 1-year-old daughter wandering the streets, wearing a urine-soaked diaper.
The neighbor, who discovered the child around 5 a.m., brought the toddler to safety and contacted emergency services. She reported to the dispatcher that she had been awakened by dogs barking and saw the toddler in the street, repeatedly crying out for her mother.
After bringing the child inside, the neighbor noticed the toddler was suffering from a severe diaper rash and a sore. When first responders arrived at the scene, they went to the toddler’s home in search of a parent. However, they reportedly only found Ellis’ 16-year-old daughter and her 15-year-old friend.
Shortly after the authorities arrived, the 16-year-old girl reportedly had a seizure and was rushed to a local hospital. The 15-year-old friend told police that Ellis had given them a bottle of vodka and left the house around 1:30 a.m. She claimed they both consumed about three shots of the alcohol.
The 15-year-old also reported that she was unaware of the toddler’s presence in the house until around 2:30 a.m., when she heard the child crying. She confirmed that she and the 16-year-old had been vomiting around 4:40 a.m., which is when she believed the toddler wandered outside calling for Ellis. She estimated the child had been outside alone for approximately 30 minutes.
Police made several attempts to contact Ellis over two days before finally reaching her. Ellis reportedly told authorities that she had intended to be away from the house for only a few hours and panicked when she learned what had transpired. Ellis declined to take a drug test, according to reports.
Ellis is currently detained in the Vanderburgh County Jail with a bond set at $750. She is due to make her initial court appearance on Friday afternoon, as per court records.