KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WOKI / WVLT) – A Knoxville woman is facing child neglect charges after police say a 1-year-old child was left unattended in a vehicle for hours while she was intoxicated.
According to court records, 20-year-old Ashlynn Taylor was charged with child neglect and leaving a child unattended in a motor vehicle following an incident reported Monday morning on Woodcrest Drive.
Officers were called to a residence after a man reported finding Taylor asleep inside his vehicle. When police spoke with Taylor, court records state she told investigators she had been out celebrating her birthday the night before and could not remember how she ended up sleeping in someone else’s car.
Investigators later spoke with one of Taylor’s friends, who told police Taylor called her around 3 a.m. asking for a ride. When the friend arrived, she reportedly found Taylor intoxicated inside a vehicle with a 1-year-old child and said Taylor refused to get out of the car.
According to court records, the friend attempted to bring the child inside Taylor’s home but said the child began crying. The friend told police she then left the child in the vehicle with Taylor, cracked the windows and turned the vehicle off before leaving.
Authorities said the child was later found in the vehicle alone, without Taylor present. Investigators determined the child remained in the car between approximately 3 a.m. and 8 a.m., including about two hours without any adult supervision.
Police reported the heat index had reached 88 degrees during part of that time period, raising concerns about the child’s safety.
Taylor was arrested and charged with child neglect and leaving a child unattended in a motor vehicle. She is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday morning.
No information was immediately available regarding the child’s condition.
