Sevierville Police have charged Kaaernitha Lakendra Griffin, a 27-year-old Kodak mother, with child and animal neglect after her toddler was discovered unattended and crying in the parking lot of her apartment complex early Sunday morning. According to a WATE report, residents of Douglas Green Apartments were alerted by the presence of the child, who was wearing nothing but a diaper in the 50-degree weather.
The Police Department's report mentions that the child, believed to be between 1 and 2 years old, had been previously seen by officers, suggesting prior encounters that may have indicated ongoing neglect. Upon arrival, officers found the toddler wrapped in a blanket provided by the residents. After some investigation, they contacted Griffin, the child's mother. Griffin, who had been out in Knoxville with a friend, claimed the toddler was under the care of a babysitter she had supposedly met on Facebook. However, the police were unable to verify the existence of such a person. WNPC News reported that the apartment was in a distressing state, with dirty dishes, piles of clothes, urine-stained beds, and a neglected dog locked in a bathroom surrounded by feces.
When questioned by the police about her whereabouts, Griffin stated to the officers that she was driving around with her friend. The police, unable to find proof that the child had safe supervision while Griffin was away, made the decision to arrest her. Upon arrest, Griffin reportedly resisted and refused to comply with the officers' commands before she was taken to the Sevier County Jail. A second of Griffin's children, who was also found in the complex but not involved in the incident, and the toddler were both placed in the custody of an unnamed person, approved by the Tennessee Department of Children's Services.
The incident has sparked a dialogue within the Sevierville community about the importance of vigilant childcare and the potential consequences of neglect. In related updates by The Mountain Press, police were initially alerted to the scene at approximately 1:45 a.m. after concerned residents dialed 911. This timeline suggests that the child had been left unattended during an hour where the vulnerable should be afforded the sanctity of slumber and supervision. As the legal proceedings continue, Griffin faces the weight of her charges in a system that must balance punishment with an understanding of underlying societal issues that contribute to such parental failings.
