Police in Alabama have taken a woman into custody for allegedly leaving her two children alone in the house for nearly seven weeks.
Roman Forest police department chief Stephen Carlisle said Raven Yates was arrested at an apartment complex in Mobile, Alabama, on Wednesday afternoon, according to Fox 7 Austin.
The children were found last year after their father, who works in California, contacted authorities on 14 November and said that his 12-year-old daughter had been home alone with her 3-year-old brother since 28 September, reported Fox 26.
The children were allegedly left without consistent access to food or medical supplies, he said.
The children’s father flew in from California and said to the police that she had learned that Ms Yates had been seen in Mobile, Alabama.
He said he had been asked by his daughter to send food regularly.
The children are said to not be registered in school and had been left at home for nearly seven weeks. The children are currently safe and living with a family member in Alabama.
Ms Yates was arrested after the US Marshals Gulf Coast Violent Offender Fugitive Task Force followed a tip to the apartment complex where she was staying reportedly with another male.
Fox 26 reported that they were able to contact Ms Yates through her Instagram page on Wednesday shortly before her arrest.
Ms Yates allegedly made various claims about her ex-husband, including that he was “trying to kill her”.
She also claimed that her daughter had access to “thousands of dollars to do and buy whatever”.
She is in custody of the Mobile Police Department awaiting extradition back to Montgomery County.
