Authorities in Jacksonville say a 4-year-old was left alone in a filthy, hazardous apartment while her mother was nowhere to be found, a situation that ended with the mom in handcuffs.
Acquiese Harris, 26, was arrested in connection with an alleged July 11 incident and booked the next day. Investigators say the child was discovered outside on a balcony with matted hair and a diaper that had not been changed, and that inside the unit the child could reach items that posed potential fire hazards.
According to charging documents reviewed by a local station, Harris faces misdemeanor child abuse, contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile and exposing children to fire. Investigators reported finding fecal matter on large portions of the child’s skin and alleged the child had been left unsupervised for extended periods. The report also states a stove and a torch lighter were accessible to the child, and notes that Harris was released from the county jail after posting bond.
Charges mapped to state law
The listed charges line up with several North Carolina statutes that make it a crime to leave minors in unsafe or hazardous situations. Exposing children to fire and similar lapses in supervision are addressed in state law, and separate provisions on contributing to delinquency and child abuse set out different penalties based on the level of injury, according to the North Carolina General Assembly. How the case moves forward will depend on the evidence and whether prosecutors seek misdemeanor or felony treatment as the investigation continues.
What happens next
Online court and jail records indicate the case is still under investigation and that Harris is currently out on bond. The Onslow County website offers general detention and booking details for the Jacksonville detention center, where booking and bond records are kept. Local officials have not issued any further public statements beyond what is contained in the charging documents reviewed by the station.
