A 27-year-old Indiana woman, already on probation for a 2019 child neglect case involving the death of her infant daughter, has been arrested again—this time after allegedly abandoning her four young children for nearly two weeks.
Shockingly, it was her own mother who made the call that led to her arrest.
According to reports from Fox 59, Tenisha Ann Echols is facing new charges of child neglect after her 8-year-old daughter phoned her grandmother in distress.
The child reported that she had been left to care for her three younger siblings, ages 6, 2, and just 4 months old, without adult supervision. When the grandmother arrived and saw the conditions, she immediately contacted the authorities.
Responding officers found the apartment door unlocked, food and garbage strewn across the floor, and mattresses without any sheets. The 8-year-old told officers that she had attempted to reach her mother numerous times by phone and that being left in charge of her siblings was not unusual.
When police contacted Echols, she returned to the home around 10 p.m., initially claiming she had only been gone for “20 minutes” to buy medicine. After officers relayed her daughter’s statements, Echols admitted to regularly leaving the children under the 8-year-old’s care because she “doesn’t feel like dragging them all out of the house at once.”
A Troubling History of Neglect
This is not the first time Echols has faced serious consequences for child neglect. In 2019, her 6-month-old daughter tragically died from blunt force trauma.
Echols later pled guilty in that case, receiving what many viewed as a lenient sentence: two years of home detention followed by two years of probation. That probation was still active at the time of her latest arrest.
Her mother, now the legal guardian of the children, says she had no choice but to report her daughter to authorities, urging others not to remain silent when children are at risk.
“Even if it’s your own family member, call the police,” she said.
What’s Next
Tenisha Ann Echols is expected to appear in court in July. Meanwhile, the children are in the custody of their grandmother and are reportedly safe.
This case is once again drawing attention to repeat child neglect offenders, probation enforcement, and the role of family in intervention. It also underscores the dangers of overburdening young children with caregiving responsibilities they are not equipped to handle.
If you suspect child abuse or neglect, contact your local authorities or the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-CHILD.
