Woman admitted to leaving children alone at home for ‘several months,’ court documents allege

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA/Gray News) - A 42-year-old Indiana woman is facing felony neglect charges after allegedly admitting to police that she had not been in the home her children were living in for “several months.”

Ashley Rogers is facing three counts of neglect of a dependent, charges that carry a combined potential sentence of up to 18 years in prison.

Police came to the home for a minor threatening to harm themself. Authorities identified multiple living conditions deemed concerning, including an unplugged full refrigerator on its side outside the house, dog waste, crumbling walls and ceilings, large patches of black mold, no running water throughout most of the home, piles of trash and a furnace with an open flame surrounded by dirty clothing.

Rogers came from work after the police arrived, but she told them the child they were there for wasn’t her concern because the teen was older, according to Allen County court records. Rogers agreed to allow two officers into the home to search, but the police could not find the teen.

The teen was eventually located under a sink that Rogers was standing in front of while police searched the home.

Another child in the home told police Rogers was home daily when she was not at work, but Rogers allegedly told officers it had been several months since she was there, court documents say.

Three dogs in the home were removed “due to the conditions not being suitable for animals.”

Court records do not say whether the children were removed from the home.

Rogers appeared in court on Monday for the first time on the charges. Her next appearance is scheduled for June.