A West Hollywood couple is facing felony charges after their 5-year-old daughter was discovered wandering the streets alone and asking strangers for food, according to authorities.
Deputies with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said the child was spotted around 11 a.m. last Thursday. Investigators noted visible injuries on the girl’s neck.
The girl’s father, 33-year-old Cody Jefferies, was arrested later that day at the family’s home on suspicion of felony child abuse and neglect. Her mother, 30-year-old April Cordova, was taken into custody two days later after neighbors reported seeing her return to the residence, sheriff’s officials said.
Both parents were formally charged on Tuesday with felony child abuse and corporal injury to a child. The child has since been placed in protective custody.
The parents are facing felony charges of child abuse and injury to a child. A felony charge indicates that the authorities consider the alleged conduct to be a serious crime that is likely to cause serious harm to the victim.
That’s really heartbreaking to read—hopefully the little girl is safe now and getting the care and protection she needs.
Thank goodness someone saw the child and called the authorities.