SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) — In Shreveport, a mother was taken into custody for allegedly confining her two small children to the balcony of their apartment.
According to the Shreveport Police Department, on April 10 at approximately 7 p.m., authorities responded to an incident at the Villa de Lago Apartments located in the 3500 block of Milan Street following reports of two young children who had been left alone and trapped on a second-floor balcony.
A concerned neighbor saw the kids and notified management at the complex, police say. The manager then called police. When officers got there, they found a 3-year-old and a 5-year-old locked outside on the balcony without supervision.
OTHER CRIME IN THE ARKLATEX
The officers spoke with the mother of the children, Jessica Ogula, who arrived at the apartment shortly after the police did. Initially, Ms. Ogula informed the authorities that she had left her kids in the care of a babysitter. However, upon deeper examination, law enforcement stated that this account was inaccurate. According to police statements, she had been leaving the children alone on the balcony when she went to work—an action they claim she repeated several times before.
The police mentioned that the children were without shoes, had soiled clothing, and emitted an odor of urine.
Ogula was taken into custody and faced charges related to abandoning two children. The youngsters were then handed over to someone deemed reliable.
“This case is heartbreaking. While we at SPD understand that parents sometimes face incredibly difficult circumstances, the safety and well-being of children must always come first.”
Shreveport Police Department
The investigation is ongoing.
