North Alabama Mom Faces Abuse Charges

SHEFFIELD, Ala. (AP) – A north Alabama woman has been arrested after police say she left her baby alone in a closet for more than an hour.

The TimesDaily reports (http://bit.ly/1br455Y ) that 22-year-old Ashley Renea Coker of Sheffield faces charges child abuse and drug charges.

Police reports indicate a neighbor called police worried about the 1-year-old’s safety after hearing him cry for over an hour. Officers went to the apartment and didn’t find anyone home.

Police say Coker arrived with her 3-year-old as housing officials arrived to open the door. Police found the baby buckled in a rocker seat in a bedroom closet. Police say the baby’s diaper and the seat were soaked with urine.

It wasn’t immediately clear if Coker had a lawyer.

County authorities took custody of the baby and the 3-year-old.