Mother Arrested After Leaving 5-Month-Old Baby Home Alone to go Out Drinking in Arizona

S. PinnockNovember 2, 2022

A 23-year-old mother from Arizona, USA, was arrested and slapped with two charges after she left her 5-month-old baby home alone to go drinking in the middle of the day. Authorities released details of the woman’s arrest, outlining that the woman was initially facing a driving under the influence (DUI) charge when the police became aware of her baby at home.

The report states that around 2:20 p.m. last Thursday, police responded to calls of a possible drunk driver and intercepted Clare Margaret Meacham. According to court documents, when Meacham was arrested, she told the police that she may have left her baby home alone. The police subsequently drove to Meacham’s residence, located in east Mesa, where they immediately heard the baby crying inside the house.

Additional reports detail that the police also checked the doorbell camera, where they observed that the mother had left the baby alone for over two hours when she was said to have gone to a bar. Meacham told authorities that after putting her infant in a crib, she lost all memory of what happened next.

It is unclear if she had made arrangements for a caretaker or informed anyone of her absence. Meacham, who has a big smile on her face in her mugshot, is the only one who has access to the residence except for her mother. The Department of Child Safety was alerted, and the unharmed baby was later handed over to one of Meacham’s relatives. Meacham is facing DUI and child abuse charges.

S. PinnockNovember 2, 2022