Jonesboro, AR – JonesboroRightNow.com – A Jonesboro woman faces a felony charge after police said her five-year-old child was abandoned in an apartment, and the child later tested positive for multiple types of drugs.
On June 21, Jonesboro police officers were dispatched to Links Circle for an unattended child. Upon arrival, officers found the child who had been left abandoned inside an apartment.
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According to a probable cause affidavit, officers were able to determine the mother’s identity as 26-year-old Jayla Terryona Carter while inside the apartment with the child. Additionally, they found drug paraphernalia, alcohol, and medications left out within the child’s reach.
After the Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) took custody of the child, officers were told they had been taken to a hospital. Medical evaluations showed that the child tested positive for amphetamines, barbiturates, and THC.
As a result, Carter was booked into the Craighead County Detention Center around 6:21 p.m., according to the roster.
The next day, Carter appeared before District Judge Tommy Fowler. He found probable cause to charge her with one Class D felony: First-degree endangering the welfare of a minor. He also ordered her to have no contact with the victim, with any contact involving the child to be supervised by DHS.
Carter is being held on a $50,000 cash/surety bond awaiting her next court appearance scheduled for July 30. If convicted, she faces up to six years in prison and fines up to $10,000.
Update: Carter was released the same day she appeared before Judge Fowler. According to NEA Report, she was released without bond pending further investigation. JRN will provide additional details as they become available.
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