Antioch mother arrested after 4 young kids found alone in 'uninhabitable' house
Antioch mother arrested after 4 young kids found home alone, house uninhabitable
An Antioch woman was arrested on suspicion of child abuse after her four children were found home alone on Thursday.
ANTIOCH, Calif. - An Antioch woman was arrested on suspicion of child abuse after her four children were found home alone on Thursday.
Around 5 p.m., officers were called to conduct a welfare check after a 2-year-old was found alone outside a home in the 2000 block of Spruce Way by a passerby, according to the Antioch Police Department.
When officers arrived, they found the front door unlocked. They knocked and announced themselves but received no response.
Upon entering the home, officers discovered three more young children aged 2, 5, and 8, also alone.
"I was in shock," said neighbor David Sarkar. "I feel so sorry for the young boys. The whole thing…If I would see that the kids were just hanging around by themselves, I would call officers."
Authorities said the children appeared to need medical attention. All four were transported to nearby hospitals for further evaluation. The children were later placed into the custody of Child and Family Services.
A hazmat team from the Contra Costa Fire Protection District was called to the scene to conduct several tests and found the home uninhabitable.
The children's mother, Shante Alberty, later arrived at the home and was arrested for child abuse.
Alberty's four children were medically cleared and placed into the custody of Child and Family Services.
The Source: Information for this story comes from a news release by the Antioch Police Department.
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