Child found naked and hungry, mother arrested
A woman is arrested after police said her child knocked on a neighbor's door without clothes on asking for food. Investigators describe conditions inside the child's home as "unimaginable."
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — A woman is arrested after police said her child knocked on a neighbor's door without clothes on asking for food. Investigators describe conditions inside the child's home as "unimaginable."
The call came in around 12:30 Sunday morning on Southwest 61st street.
Oklahoma City Police said the caller claimed they found a naked child who "possibly looks malnourished".
"There was a person in the area that had contacted police indicating an unclothed child, small child had come to their door claiming to be hungry," said SGT. Dillon Quirk with the Oklahoma City Police Department.
When officers arrived to the neighborhood, the report explains they saw Yoriannis Columbie-Delgado and the child across the street.
Columbie-Delgado allegedly admitted to police she was getting a bath ready, when her son climbed out of a window to play with other kids in the neighborhood.
That's when police asked if they could check inside the home "due to the nature of the call."
"Unimaginable conditions inside. There was trash everywhere. Just really a place that's not, not suitable for a child to live. They had limited food inside the home," said Quirk.
The report explained trash bags were blocking doorways and officers found stagnate water in the bathroom and kitchen.
Investigators also identified there were no beds in the home for the child.
"For that reason, DHS was contacted. Ultimately, the caregiver was arrested on a complaint of child neglect," said Quirk.
The Oklahoma Department of Human Services could not comment on the child's whereabouts currently.
DHS sent News 4 this statement.
Oklahoma Human Services staff work each day to protect the safety and well-being of Oklahoma’s children. While we cannot share details about specific child welfare cases due to state and federal confidentiality statutes, it is important for the public to know how they can protect their community’s children and how we work to do the same.
If you have concerns about a child’s well-being, our Abuse and Neglect hotline is available 24 hours a day at 1-800-522-3511. When you call, we’ll ask for as much information as you can provide about your concerns and anything you know about the child and family. State law allows our agency to intervene in cases of child neglect, abuse or exploitation by the person responsible for the child’s care, like a parent, guardian, foster parent or child care staff. More than 85% of the cases we confirm each year are related to neglect. Sometimes, we can support families with services, resources and education to keep their children safe at home. However, other times the safety risk is too great, and the court decides that there is no other option than for a child to enter foster care. When that happens, we need a dedicated foster family to meet that child’s needs and keep them safe while their family is getting help. If you are considering how you can support children in foster care, as well as their biological or foster families, please visit our website at OKFosters.org. It takes a community of caring individuals to keep children safe and thriving!
Oklahoma Department of Human Services
One neighbor said if she's walking by the house and the door opens, the smell is unbearable.
She also said it wasn't the first time she had seen the child wandering in neighbor's yards.
Columbie-Delgado is still in jail on a $50,000 bond. Her court date is not currently set.