A Missouri woman faces multiple felony charges after allegedly leaving her three young children unattended for nearly a full day while she went out for a birthday celebration. Courtney Lynn Box, 29, was arrested on Saturday and charged with three counts of first-degree child endangerment and one count of neglect or abuse of a child.
According to court documents, a neighbor alerted authorities after hearing a banging sound emanating from Box's residence for three hours and noticing her vehicle was missing. When officers entered the sparsely furnished home, they discovered the infants with soiled diapers. One of the 1-year-old twins was found at the top of the stairs repeatedly banging his head against the wall.
Medical examinations revealed that the twin who was banging his head sustained a closed head injury and had a swollen eye. Both twins also exhibited speech delays, and an evaluation by a Child Advocacy Center concluded that all three children displayed behaviors consistent with maltreatment. Officers also reported finding a bag with a crystal residue on top of baby formula in the kitchen.
Box initially told officers she had only been gone for an hour, but authorities maintain she was away from the home for approximately 24 hours. The children were left alone shortly after the family moved into the new residence in January, law enforcement officials stated. Each of the four felony charges carries a potential sentence of one to seven years in prison. Box has pleaded not guilty to the charges.