A Missouri mother is facing eight charges after allegedly abandoning her four-year-old daughter at a truck stop and then denying to authorities that she had a child.
Kayla Marie Christensen was arrested on suspicion of child abandonment and endangerment after leaving the unidentified girl at a Love's Travel Stop east of I-35 in Neosho early Friday morning, according to Law & Crime.
Officials stated that Christensen, who has three children, left the girl in the middle of the night. When questioned by police, she allegedly claimed she only had two sons and denied having a daughter.
An affidavit cited by the outlet states, "As [the victim's] mother and person legally responsible for her care, [Christensen] left four-year-old JV1 with the purpose of wholly abandoning her under circumstances likely to result in serious physical injury or death, as evidenced by knowingly driving away, failing to return, and later denying that she had a daughter."
Officers from the Neosho Police Department responded to a report of a child alone at the truck stop shortly before 3 a.m. Police said Christensen allegedly drove away with her two sons and had no intention of returning for her daughter.
Investigators also discovered that Christensen's two sons were not properly restrained in the vehicle and were in close proximity to suspected drug paraphernalia, including syringes. The circumstances, according to the affidavit, "created a substantial risk of injury not only to the children but also to other motorists and members of the public."
Further allegations suggest Christensen also left her boys unattended in her vehicle while she visited a casino in Wyandotte, Kansas, according to KZRG.
Christensen's charges include second-degree child abandonment, three counts of child abuse or neglect, unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, and three counts of failing to properly restrain a child. Police credited truck stop employees for ensuring the girl's safety until officers arrived.
Records indicate Christensen was taken into custody on October 23, but she was no longer in custody as of October 27. Information regarding her upcoming court appearance has not yet been released.
