A Racine woman was charged with child neglect and is being held on a $2,000 signature bond after she left her toddler with a woman she barely knew and failed to pick her up.
Vania Hayes, 43, was charged by the Racine County District Attorney’s Office with child neglect and interfering with child custody. If convicted of both charges, she faces up to four years three months in prison and/or fined up to $20,000.
According to a criminal complaint, Hayes asked a woman to take care of her two-year-old child for a few hours at 12:30 a.m. April 22. She gave the woman two diapers and a changed of clothes, but no milk. Hayes, who appeared to be under the influence of drugs, told the woman she would come back at 2 a.m.
The woman tried to call Hayes at 2:30 a.m., but the girl was sleeping and she fell asleep as well. By 9 a.m., Hayes, who is known to use crack cocaine, still hadn’t come to pick up her child and she called Hayes from four different phone numbers. The woman watching the girl didn’t know Hayes’ last name or her full address.
Out of diapers and not having any milk to give the child, the woman called the police at 7:30 p.m. She told them what had happened and that Vania’s other children had been taken away.
Police went to Hayes’ home to see if they could find her. They noticed her car parked at the residence, and a television and lights were on inside the home. But no one came to the door despite trying to contact her by phone.
The girl was placed in a foster home. Despite trying to contact Hayes, she made no inquiries regarding her daughter’s well being.