FAIRMONT, West Virginia — A Monday morning that should have been ordinary turned into a nightmare for an entire neighborhood when a 6-year-old child jumped from a second-story apartment window — alone — while their mother slept inside.
The incident happened at a Unity Terrace apartment in Fairmont, a city in northern West Virginia, roughly 90 miles south of Pittsburgh.
What Neighbors Witnessed
Someone in the area spotted the child and immediately called police.
Deputies from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office arrived and spoke with the mother, 30-year-old Stevie Thibodeaux, who told them she had been asleep when it happened.
She pointed to childproof locks on interior doors, explaining they were meant to keep the child from wandering. But the second-story window had no screen — and nothing stopped the child from going through it.
What Deputies Found Inside the Home
Authorities obtained a search warrant and searched the apartment.
Inside, they reportedly found a white plate with a food stamp card on it, a white powder, and a device used to ingest drugs.
Thibodeaux allegedly admitted to using cocaine and said she had left the plate in her closet.
The Child’s Hospital Results
The child was transported to a hospital in Morgantown, about 20 miles away, for evaluation.
There, the child tested positive for cocaine.
The full extent of the child’s injuries has not been publicly confirmed.
Mother Now Faces Serious Charges
Thibodeaux has been charged with child neglect creating risk of serious injury or death.
She is currently being held at the North Central Regional Jail.
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office has been contacted for further comment on the case.
This story is heartbreaking in ways that are hard to put into words. Have you seen warning signs in your own community that a child needed help? Share your thoughts in the comments — awareness saves lives.