Arizona parents accused of leaving 2 infants home alone, strapped into car seats

PHOENIX – Two Arizona parents were arrested last week after allegedly leaving their two infants home alone, strapped into car seats, authorities said.

Thomas Jordan, 41, and Maira Moreno, 25, were booked into jail on suspicion of child abuse and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office (YCSO).

YCSO was alerted about the case last Wednesday when a man called just before 6 a.m. and said he had to go to work and leave his 1-year-old children at his home in Congress.

Congress is a small community east of US 93 near State Routes 71 and 89, about 80 miles northwest of downtown Phoenix.

What did YCSO find at scene where infants were left home alone?

A deputy called the man back to confirm the details and followed up by driving to the home, where he found a generator running outside. It was connected to an extension cord that led to the front door, which was slightly ajar.

The deputy went inside and found the children in car seats, which were placed in front of a space heater. Nobody else was in the home, which was unpowered and cold.

The Congress Fire Department was called to the scene to evaluate the infants and take them to a local station to stay warm while YCSO conducted its investigation.

Deputies spoke with the parents in person almost an hour later and took them into custody. YCSO didn’t say where the mother was that morning.

The children were eventually placed under Department of Child Safety care.

“This incident highlights exactly why we trust our deputies to rely on their experience and to treat every call seriously. I am proud of this deputy’s quick thinking and his commitment to make sure these two infants were safe,” Sheriff David Rhodes said in a press release.

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