An Iowa woman was arrested after her 1-year-old toddler fell out of her second-floor apartment window while she was outside.
Angelia Varner, 35, was released on personal recognizance after being arrested Monday and charged with one count of child neglect.
According to a criminal complaint reviewed by Law&Crime, Varner was accused of leaving her three young children alone on August 18 while she went to the parking lot of her Newton, Iowa apartment.
According to the complaint, Varner told police that she left her three young children — ages 23 months, 3 years, and 9 years old — alone “for a few minutes” while she went outside. She told police that she had left her 9-year-old in charge of the younger children.
Police said several neighbors saw the toddler fall while Varner was outside in the parking lot.
According to police, the toddler suffered “abrasions and bruising” on her head after falling approximately 12 feet.
Police said that when they entered Varner’s apartment, they discovered that the window where the little girl fell had a “significantly” torn screen. The tear created an opening large enough for a small child to fall through.
Varner allegedly told police that the screen had been torn for “several months,” and that she was aware it was open when she left the apartment that day. According to police, she explained that she was trying to “cool” the home.
The apartment manager told police that Varner never requested that her window be repaired.
According to the complaint, Varner’s neighbors informed police that they frequently saw the three children “play at the open window and/or lean out of it.”
The neighbors also claimed that they frequently saw the children “unattended” and playing outside without their mother present.
Varner was arrested on one count of child neglect and booked into Jasper County Jail. She was released on her own recognizance and is set to appear in court on September 2.
