Indiana Mom Arrested Charged Neglect After Toddler Found Wandering Streets

Ashley Ellis, a 42-year-old mother from Evansville, Indiana, was arrested and charged with neglect of a dependent and contributing to the delinquency of a minor after allegedly giving her 16-year-old daughter and a 15-year-old friend a bottle of vodka and leaving them in charge of her one-year-old child. The toddler was found wandering alone in the street around 5 a.m. with a urine-soaked diaper, crying for her mother, and was rescued by a neighbor who then called 911. Police found the two teenagers at Ellis' home; shortly after their arrival, the 16-year-old suffered a seizure and was hospitalized. The 15-year-old friend told investigators that both teens consumed about three shots of vodka and were vomiting by the early morning, while the toddler was alone outside for approximately 30 minutes. Ellis initially could not be reached for two days, and when she spoke to investigators, she denied giving vodka but admitted there was a bottle in the freezer that the teens asked to drink. The incident raised serious concerns about child neglect and the dangers of underage drinking, leading to Ellis' booking into Vanderburgh County Jail.