MIDDLETOWN — A woman was charged with two counts of risk of injury to a child after her 1-year-old was found wandering outside.
According to police, a passerby noticed the baby on South Main Street by Pinewood Terrace and called police around 5:40 p.m. Police said the child’s diaper was dirty and soaked with urine, and noted the baby seemed lethargic. Police also said that the child appeared to have ‘slight bruising’ and blood on his hand from small scratches.
Police said they found the mother, 31-year-old Tosha Cooley, at 769 South Main Street about 20 minutes later. She was not aware the child was missing, police reported.
When police entered the home, they said they saw food on the floor and hazardous toys among other potentially dangerous situations for children. Police said Cooley had another child, a 4-year-old diagnosed with non-verbal autism. They noted that his diaper was also filthy with feces and urine.
An ambulance took both children to the hospital for evaluation.
According to police, when asked, Cooley said she thought she heard both children playing in the sunroom, and stepped away to make dinner. Police said during their investigation, Cooley claimed to have only lost the child for ‘five minutes’. Cooley also said she had been giving the children water due to the heat, and that lead to the soiled diapers, according to police, but officers did not see any visible cups or bottles with water.
Cooley was placed under arrest and charged with two counts of risk of injury, and released on a $5,000 bond.
When Cooley was released from custody, DCF requested that both parents and police meet at the home to evaluate its condition.
