DOTHAN, Ala. — A Dothan woman has been arrested after police say her young child with developmental disabilities was found alone in an apartment with unsafe living conditions.
According to the Dothan Police Department, officers responded on June 25 to the 600 block of South Lena Street to investigate a report of suspected child neglect.
The investigation began after apartment maintenance workers responded to the unit following reports of water leaking from the apartment. While searching for the source of the leak, maintenance personnel discovered a young child alone inside the two-story apartment.
Police determined the child, who is younger than 12 years old, had been left without adult supervision. The child was wearing only a shirt.
Investigators found the apartment to be in extremely unsanitary and unsafe condition. Officers reported there was no food in the residence, and the child’s sleeping area failed to meet minimal living standards.
Authorities also learned the child is non-verbal and has intellectual developmental disabilities, requiring an increased level of care and supervision.
During the investigation, detectives determined the child’s mother, 27-year-old Nykera Latrese Rich of Dothan, had left the apartment the previous evening and traveled out of town to engage in prostitution for financial gain.
Investigators contacted Rich while she was away. She later returned to Dothan and turned herself in to the Dothan Police Department.
The Dothan Police Department worked with the Houston County Department of Human Resources during the investigation. DHR took custody of the child found in the apartment as well as a sibling who was not present during the incident.
Rich was charged with one count of Torture/Willful Abuse of a Child. Her bond was set at $15,000.