Mufreesboro Mother Charged With Child Neglect

This is just plain sad-
Police: 2-Year-Old Found Walking In Cold With Only T-Shirt, Diaper
WSMV TV

It's been a tough 48 hours for Markita Scott. The 19-year-old single mom was not only arrested on child neglect charges, her child was also placed in temporary foster home by the State Department Of Child Services.

The night of Jan. 12, the toddler was found by neighbors in a Murfreesboro apartment complex, walking in the cold dressed only in a t-shirt and a diaper. The child was also found walking in the complex alone in early January. Police called DCS, who immediately place the child temporarily in a foster home. Scott was arrested for child neglect.

"It's one of the very sad situations that our officers had to make an arrest in this case, for the safety of the child," said Kyle Evans, Murfreesboro Police Department spokesman.

Scott said she was asleep in her bedroom and did not hear her child leave his bedroom and unlock the door. She told Channel 4 News, choking back tears, that being without her son has been tough.

"He's with someone I don't know. I don't know what's going to happen. I can't imagine what he's feeling right now," said Scott.

Scott, who is a senior at MTSU, says she takes full responsibility for what has happened. But she maintains she is not a negligent mother.

"He got out of the house when I was sleeping. There is a big difference in leaving him alone. I take full responsibility for not placing the lock on the door when it happened the first time," said Scott.

The 19-year-old single mother said she has been conditionally accepted to Vanderbilt Law School. However if she is found guilty of child neglect, those plans could be derailed.

"That the outcome of the charges will determine my acceptance or non acceptance to Vanderbilt because a charge like this is unacceptable," said Scott.

It's not just about her future. It's about the future of her family.

"I want to continue to be the mother I've been for the last 2 1/2 years," said Scott.

http://www.wsmv.com/news/26881474/detail.html

It looks like this young lady was working hard to improve her lot in life. But she gets nothing but stabbed in the back by the system. I hope a benefactor takes her under their wing so she can get a law degree. I am betting she would turn into a highly MOTIVATED lawyer defending families against CPS.