Jackson mom accused of leaving kids alone in vehicle
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JACKSON, Tenn. — Police arrested a Jackson mother accused of leaving three small children alone in a vehicle during near-freezing temperatures. According to court documents, the incident happened Friday night at an apartment complex on Magnolia Landing Court in east Jackson. “That’s very ridiculous,” Johnny Clark, who works nearby, said. Nataskie Murphy appeared in Jackson City Court on Monday. She faces three counts of child neglect. “I think that she should get whatever they can give her,” Clark said. Investigators said they got a call about a disturbance around 5:15 p.m. on Friday. Upon arrival, officers said they found three kids, ages four, three and one, alone in a vehicle. “People just need to wake up and pay attention to what their surroundings are,” Clark said. Investigators said they determined the children were in the vehicle for at least two to three hours because of frost built up on the windows. Police said it was approximately 34 degrees outside. “That’s negligent,” Clark said. “You know the kids could have froze to death or anything you know, as cold as it got.” The incident surprised some at the apartment complex. “You would never think something like that would happen,” Deondre McMurray said. “You would think they would take better care of them.” Police said the mother was highly intoxicated when they found her and did not know where her kids were. “That’s not being a parent,” Clark said. “That’s just being stupid.” Murphy is scheduled to return to court April 16.
