Mum Left Her Baby and Toddler Alone to Get Drunk – Then Crashed Her Car
A mother abandoned her nine-day-old baby and toddler at home to go drinking at a bar, only to crash into a pole hours later and end up behind bars herself. Sandra Henriquez, 32, left her home in Muncie, Indiana, at 12:30 am to drink at Big Shots Pub, leaving her newborn and toddler alone for 14 hours before they were finally rescued.
She had already downed a six-pack of 16oz Budweiser cans before heading out, and after a night of drinking, she attempted to drive home but crashed into a utility pole at around 5:30 am. When police arrived at the scene, they found a baby car seat in her car but got no response when they asked if she had children. She was arrested and taken to Delaware County Jail, reported the Daily Mail.
Even after being locked up, Henriquez still refused to tell officers about her children. At 7:27 am, she told jail staff she had “no dependents,” only to change her story an hour later. However, she reportedly refused to provide an address or phone number, leaving her children alone for several more hours.
It wasn’t until 2:22 pm that neighbours, alarmed by the sound of babies crying, called the police. When officers forced open the door, they found both children covered in faeces. The newborn was in a horrific state—her hands, feet, and mouth had turned blue due to malnutrition, and she weighed less than she did at birth. She had to be fed through a feeding tube at the hospital, while her older sister was found to be in good health.
Despite what happened, Henriquez had been posting pictures of her new baby on Facebook the morning after her birth, proudly sharing details of her labour and celebrating her older daughter’s birthday just days before.
Her social media was full of happy family photos, including snaps from a birthday party featuring a pink cake and a video of her toddler’s first words. But inside her home, police found a very different scene—open cans of alcohol, a neglected small dog in a cage without food or water, and no sign of any care for her two daughters.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Henriquez had “multiple opportunities” to inform officers that her children were home alone but chose not to.
The father of the older child had previously shared joyful posts about her birth, writing, “She couldn’t wait to meet mommy and daddy! Mommy was only in labour for 2 1/2 hours and she did GREAT! Thank you, Jesus, for a smooth delivery. Blessed is an understatement.”
Henriquez now lists herself as single on Facebook. She has been charged with four counts of neglect of a dependent, including one count of causing serious injury, as well as obstruction of justice. Her bail has been set at $42,500.