Two parents in Missouri allegedly left their two young children alone for hours inside a 14th-floor apartment where officers found the kids "completely naked and alone" with a broken window exposing them to danger, according to police.
Background
Desiree Ching, 32, and David Croft, 39, are each facing two counts of endangering the welfare of a child following an incident on July 13 at an apartment building in the 600 block of N. Grand Boulevard in St. Louis, Missouri. Officers from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department responded to the location for a welfare check after witnesses reported seeing one of the children hanging from an open window.
The Investigation
Police said they knocked on the apartment door but received no response before entering. Inside, they discovered a bedroom door that had been locked from the outside, preventing anyone inside from escaping. Officers found two children, ages 5 and 3, who were "completely naked and alone" in the room.
The affidavit states the walls of the room were covered in feces and there was a broken window which exposed the children to a 14-foot drop. Officers determined it was "clear" that the children had been locked in the room for at least several hours before being discovered.
Both children were taken to a hospital for treatment. Ching arrived at the hospital and identified herself as the mother of the children. She was arrested and transported to the St. Louis Justice Center, where she remains held without bond.
Croft told police he was the father when he arrived at the apartment. He was also arrested but later released on his own recognizance after it was revealed that he had left the children in Ching's custody before going to work earlier that morning.
Key Takeaways
- Desiree Ching, 32, and David Croft, 39, each face two counts of endangering the welfare of a child
- Officers responded July 13 for a welfare check at an apartment building on N. Grand Boulevard in St. Louis
- Witnesses reported seeing one child hanging from an open window before police arrived
- Police found the children locked in a bedroom with walls covered in feces and a broken window exposing them to danger
- Ching remains held at the St. Louis Justice Center without bond; Croft was released on his own recognizance
What's Next
Both parents are awaiting further court proceedings on the child endangerment charges. The children's current condition and custody status following their hospital treatment have not been disclosed in the charging documents.