Maryland mother, boyfriend charged after child kept locked in rodent-infested bedroom closet
A Maryland mother and her boyfriend have been charged in a horrific case of child abuse.
Police in St. Mary's County said a 4-year-old boy was locked in a dark bedroom closet for hours daily over the past year, inside a home infested with rodents and roaches.
Charging documents reveal extent of abuse
Police went to the home Monday, July 20, after receiving a tip, according to charging documents obtained by WJZ Investigates.
They wrote the little boy "was nude and lying on debris and trash" inside the closet, which had been secured shut with a bungee cord.
The mother, 28-year-old Kaylynn Nicole Moore, told police she had been securing her child in that closet for "approximately one year."
Deputies described the home as "in disarray" and the conditions as "deplorable."
A deputy wrote, "I observed the walls were painted black. I couldn't see the floor due to the amount of refuse, food wrappers, dirty diapers and feces… ."
Police arrested Moore and her 27-year-old boyfriend James Earl Stone.
They said there was no edible food and water where the boy was being kept.
"We received a call through our emergency center reporting child abuse and that a child was being held locked in a closet. That call obviously spurred an immediate response from the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office," said ALisa Casas, the public information officer for the St. Mary's County Sheriff. "Many of our deputies and first responders are parents, so seeing this from a parent perspective, you can imagine what's going through their mind as they go home at the end of a shift, and they are tucking their own children into bed."
According to charging documents, the mother told police her son was "special needs" and was in the closet because he had a "history of eloping."
Police said she told them, "…he stays in the closet overnight and is removed during the day when he knocks on the door calls for them."
"Hazardous" conditions
The mother described conditions in her own home as "'so hazardous' and advised there were rat/mouse feces and roaches throughout the home," police wrote.
Her boyfriend admitted using a bungee cord to secure the closet door for about 3 months.
He described the child as "developmentally delayed" and told police there was exposed wiring and a broken window in the bedroom, calling it "unsafe for the child," according to police.
There were also other children living in the home—ages 11, 8, 1, and 7 months.
"The child who was located in the closet received medical attention at the scene. He was checked out. I can't delve any more into that for privacy regulations. We also don't talk about juveniles and their personal care," Casas told WJZ Investigates. "The other children did not require medical attention."
Past media attention
The couple was featured online for having the first baby of 2026 year at their local hospital.
The mother was also profiled for an online campaign to turn "pain into purpose" that she hoped would get the attention of Steve Harvey.
According to posts online, she also started a campaign to place miniature figurines of Jesus in the community "to connect and spread kindness."
What's next?
A judge ordered the couple released on their own recognizance Tuesday afternoon, according to online court records.
The most serious charge they are facing is for felony second-degree child abuse, which carries a maximum of 15 years behind bars.
They are also facing seven counts of misdemeanor neglect of a minor.
"The very best thing that happened is somebody saw something and somebody made a phone call," said Casas. "We immediately responded, and we were able to rescue that child, so I just can't reiterate any stronger that if you see something and you suspect something like this, please call and make a report."
The Maryland Children's Alliance tells WJZ Investigates there were more than 5,000 reports in Maryland last year alone, almost 1,000 of them for allegations of physical abuse.
You can access more information on their website.
Dr. Daniel Hoover with the Center for Child and Family Traumatic Stress at Kennedy Krieger Institute told WJZ Investigates some children are more vulnerable.
"Kids with autism or cognitive delays and developmental delays are on average two or three or four times as likely to be neglected or abused than non-disabled kids," Dr. Hoover said. "And it may be for some of the same reasons where the families feel overwhelmed or don't know where to turn, and so it is really a difficult situation."
People who suspect abuse or neglect should call 1-800-91-PREVENT.
