A 33-year-old Plainville woman is facing a felony child endangerment charge after police say her 9-year-old daughter, who has autism, waited more than 11 hours for medical treatment after falling roughly 10 feet from the roof of their home. Chelsea L. Flagge was arrested on Sept. 18 and is now free on a $25,000 bond ahead of a Nov. 17 court date.
According to an arrest warrant cited by the New Haven Register, the girl climbed out of her second-floor bedroom window and fell from the roof early on Aug. 3. Flagge allegedly refused to take her daughter to the emergency room and instead continued socializing with friends after learning of the fall, the warrant states. Another person ultimately brought the child to a Hartford hospital, where she was found to have a fractured left wrist, per the warrant.
Plainville police became involved the following day, Aug. 4, after officers responded to Flagge's residence for a welfare check prompted by a caller who said Flagge had made concerning comments. The report notes Flagge admitted to making those comments and told officers her daughter had been injured in the fall early that morning. Police say Flagge attempted to contact the child's father around 1:30 a.m.; after he called her back around 11 a.m., she told him about the fall and said the girl was fine.
Toxicology Results Complicate the Timeline
A toxicology report connected to the case, dated Aug. 5, came back positive for cocaine, according to the Register's reporting on the warrant. Police charged Flagge with risk of injury under the delay in seeking medical attention for her daughter, per the department's account relayed in the warrant.
Connecticut's risk of injury statute, C.G.S. § 53-21(a)(1), covers situational endangerment and is classified as a Class C felony, carrying a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000, according to FindLaw. The law targets actions or omissions that endanger the physical health or morals of a minor under 16, as outlined by the Allan F. Friedman Law firm. Notably, appellate interpretation of the statute does not require prosecutors to prove intent to harm a child — only general intent to perform or fail to perform the act that created the risk, meaning a deliberate delay in seeking medical care can itself satisfy the legal threshold.
Why a Fall From the Roof Isn't Unusual for Kids With Autism
The warrant's account of how the girl ended up on the roof points to a well-documented safety concern for children on the autism spectrum. The CDC reports that roughly half of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder attempt to wander or elope from safe environments, often putting themselves at risk of falls or traffic accidents, regardless of the level of adult supervision in place. A national survey supported by Autism Speaks similarly found that nearly 49 percent of children with autism wander after age four, with researchers tying the behavior to developmental triggers rather than inattentive parenting, and noting that 53 percent of wandering episodes last long enough to cause genuine safety concern.
That context speaks to how the child may have reached the roof in the first place, but it does not bear on the separate allegation at the heart of the criminal case: the more than 11-hour gap between the fall and the moment the girl finally received treatment at the Hartford hospital.
Parallel Child Welfare Review Likely Under State Timeline
Connecticut law requires healthcare workers and emergency personnel to report suspected child abuse, neglect, or medical delay to the Department of Children and Families' 24-hour Careline within 12 hours of discovery, with a formal written report due within 48 hours, under rules spelled out by the State of Connecticut. The incident involved a child who had a fracture and experienced a delay in medical care. DCF typically has 45 days to investigate, with the commissioner deciding whether to substantiate a case at the conclusion of the investigation, according to the DCF Defense law firm.
Case Heads to New Britain Superior Court
Flagge's criminal case will be heard in the Judicial District of New Britain. It remains unclear what specific conditions, if any, have been attached to Flagge's bond.
Flagge is scheduled to appear at Superior Court in New Britain on Nov. 17, when the case is expected to move forward.
