Woman Charged After 2-Year-Old, Home Alone, Falls From Window
UPDATED 06/20/12 7:36 a.m.
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A young mother stands charged with child endangerment, after leaving her toddler home alone in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood.
The 2-year-old boy was being treated at the University of Chicago's Comer Children's Hospital Wednesday morning, after falling from the second-story window at his family's apartment in the 6100 block of South Artesian Avenue.
LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio's Bernie Tafoya reports
Podcast
The boy was alone in the apartment at the time. He was discovered lying on the sidewalk by a neighbor at about 9 p.m. Tuesday, police said.
The boy landed on some grass and suffered an abrasion to his head, and was reported in stable condition at the hospital.
His mother, Vernisha Carter, 22, was charged with one count of misdemeanor endangerment of a child and one count of misdemeanor reckless conduct, according to police.
Denise Barnes lives across the street, and says she thought the building from which the boy fell was supposed to be vacant.
"I'm shocked because I thought the building was abandoned. I did see a man a couple of weeks ago, telling people they shouldn't be in there... there were a lot of guys in front of the building, but I just thought it was empty," Barnes said. "But I have heard music and people screaming back and forth in there."
Carter is set to appear in court to answer her charges on July 11.
The Sun-Times Media wire contributed to this report.
