John Jefferson
Inset: Kaitlyn Maire Estes (Newton County Sheriff). Background: The home where Estes allegedly abandoned her infant child (KSNW).
A 23-year-old mother in Missouri is facing felony criminal charges after she allegedly left her 4-month-old daughter home alone for an unknown period of time so she could “go score.” Kaitlyn Maire Estes was taken into custody earlier this month and charged with one count of first-degree abandonment of a child and one count of first-degree endangering the welfare of a child, court records reviewed by Law&Crime show.
According to a probable cause affidavit, an investigator with the Missouri Department of Social Services Children’s Division at about 11:45 a.m. on Oct. 2, 2024, traveled to Estes’ home in the 3200 block of S Grand Avenue to follow up on an existing investigation.
Upon arriving at the home, the investigator repeatedly knocked on the door and said she could hear a baby crying inside. The investigator, who knew that Estes had an infant child, continued knocking for about 45 minutes before giving up and calling law enforcement.
Police responded to the home and determined that Estes’ vehicle was not on the property.
Because the front door was deadbolted from the inside, police asked the property manager to let them into the home so they could ensure the well-being of the crying baby.
“Upon entry, officers located a four-month-old female in the bedroom. The baby was wedged between the adult sized bed mattress and the wall,” police wrote in the affidavit. “A blanket had been pulled across the face of the baby. Officers removed the baby from the bed. In doing so, they noted her diaper was extremely soiled and sagging. The baby was crying and appeared to be in distress. Bruising on the face area was also observed. No other person was located in the residence.”
In addition to discovering the infant, police said they also found a handwritten note that had been “stuck to the wall of the bedroom,” which read: “Went to go score be right back.”
Authorities were unable to locate Estes, so the child was placed in the custody of the Children’s Center where she underwent a CARE exam. Doctors who performed the exam said they observed bruising on the child’s cheeks and the left side of her face as well as dermatitis and skin breakdown from the soiled diaper she had been wearing.
Estes was located three days later and placed under arrest. She was arraigned and a judge set her bond at $5,000. She remained in custody at the Newton County Jail as of Tuesday morning, records show. She is scheduled to appear in court for a bond reduction hearing on Tuesday afternoon.
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