A 23-year-old Pikeville, Kentucky, woman was arrested after police said she left her two young children home alone so she could "go smoke" marijuana, according to a criminal complaint.
Officers arrived at the apartment Monday evening after a call about a domestic disturbance and found the building's door opened by two very young children, the complaint states. The children, ages 2 and 4, were inside the residence when police made contact, the document says.
The complaint says a neighbor told officers Chapman had asked her about 5 p.m. to watch the children so Chapman could "go smoke," roughly four hours before police arrived. The neighbor's statement, included in the report, was part of what prompted officers to take the children into custody and contact child protective services, the filing says.
When Chapman returned to the apartment while officers were present, she told them she had left the children "for a couple of minutes while she went to a neighbor's house," the complaint says. Police alleged she smelled strongly of alcohol, had bloodshot, glassy eyes and was slurring her words. She was arrested and taken into custody on charges related to leaving the children unattended, the complaint says.
The two children were removed from the home and later placed in the custody of the children's father, who posted on Facebook that the children "didn't even know where she was" and said they had been placed solely in his care. The complaint indicates child protective services was involved after the officers' arrival.
Chapman was photographed for a booking image that shows her smiling and posing for the camera. She was released on bond, the report says. It was not immediately clear whether she has retained an attorney.
The arrest and the accompanying images drew attention on social media after the father's public posts and the release of the booking photo. The criminal complaint filed with Pikeville authorities contains the primary account of the officers' interaction and the neighbor's statement; law-enforcement officials declined further comment in the report.
No additional court dates or further prosecutorial actions were detailed in the complaint that was made public. Authorities and social-services agencies typically review such cases to determine whether criminal charges will move forward and to assess the children's welfare, the report notes.