Special needs child found alone in bad conditions; caretaker charged
LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - While looking into children cared for by a woman under arrest, police say they found a child with cerebral palsy, lying at the bottom of a stairwell covered in her own waste.
Angelica Tutt, 23, of Louisville, is charged with first-degree criminal abuse in that case, as well as a list of charges including assault of a peace officer from an incident that happened moments before.
According to an arrest report, police questioned Tutt on Wednesday night about loitering in the Beecher Terrace housing complex at West and Cedar courts.
Officers describe her actions as belligerent, drawing a crowd before she was taken into custody. They say she resisted them, kicked at them and spit in an officer's face.
Tutt said she cared for six children, according to police records. Asked if there were any other children at the residence, Tutt reportedly told officers of a 12-year-old girl living there who cares for herself.
Officers approached a home in the 400 block of S. 10th Street, listed as Tutt's address, which they say was locked from the outside with a key in the keyhole.
Records indicate the officers feared for the child's welfare when they heard moaning and scratching.
Upon entering, police say they found a girl with cerebral palsy who turned out to be 9 years old, covered in vomit and feces. It's believed she had fallen down the stairs.
EMS rushed the child to Kosair Children's Hospital. There was no immediate word on her condition.
In addition to the charges of first-degree criminal abuse and third-degree assault, Tutt was booked into Metro Corrections on charges of second-degree disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and interfering with a government process.
Charges from January 2013 against Tutt of failure to use a child restraint device in a vehicle were dismissed in April, along with several traffic offenses. Other than those, it does not appear she has a criminal history.
Copyright 2013 WAVE 3 News. All rights reserved.
