4 children allegedly confined to truck cab since 2019, couple faces neglect charges over lack of medical care, abuse and schooling

Two suspects from Georgia have been arrested on charges linked to child neglect involving four children. The arrests followed a multi-jurisdictional investigation that revealed the children had been living in the cab of a semitruck since 2019.

According to News 4 Jax, Keisha Monique Epps, 51, was booked into the Duval County jail on four counts of child neglect. Meanwhile, her co-defendant, Tamra Stewart, 37, has been charged with capital battery. Each count of child neglect reportedly holds a bond amount of $100,003.

The report also suggests that, as per bond conditions, Epps will have to wear a GPS ankle monitor, be barred from contacting minors, victims, witnesses, or co-defendants, and is also prohibited from having firearms or using alcohol or drugs.

As per court documents, Epps has been a truck driver since December 2019 for a company that operates between Atlanta, Georgia, and Miami, Florida. Investigators state that the four children had been living in the semitruck cab that Epps drove.

The kids were reportedly forced to share a single bunk, sleeping side by side and curled up as they could not fit lying flat. They were rarely allowed out of the cab, even to use the washrooms. The children have also alleged not being fed properly and being denied adequate exercise or movement.

According to investigators, the children were not even enrolled in an accredited school. Instead, they were instructed to use an app that is not recognized as a formal educational tool or an accredited institution. The children were reportedly denied medical or dental care, even in cases of injury or illness.

The report has even cited a shocking incident wherein one of the children burned herself severely with cooked noodles and was not provided with any medical treatment, resulting in a permanent scar.

Meanwhile, Stewart is accused of abusing the children. The incidents reportedly occurred while Epps was driving, sleeping, or showering. The children told investigators that they told Epps about the abuse, but she did not believe them and continued to leave them alone with the 37-year-old. Stewart also allegedly physically abused the children by punching them in the head on multiple occasions.

Epps is also accused of calling the children derogatory names and blaming them for Stewart’s behavior. As per the report, when a JSO detective first encountered the children, they were reportedly walking with an unnatural gait, believed to be the result of years of confinement in the truck’s cab.

Both Stewart and Epps were in the Duval County Jail as of Wednesday night.

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Article Source: 4 children allegedly confined to truck cab since 2019, couple faces neglect charges over lack of medical care, abuse and schooling