Police report: Unsafe conditions at home where infant was left alone - East Idaho News
Crime Watch

Police report: Unsafe conditions at home where infant was left alone

  Published at  | Updated at

IDAHO FALLS — Conditions were unsafe at the apartment where investigators said an infant was left home alone for hours, according to an Idaho Falls Police report obtained by EastIdahoNews.com.

The child’s mother, 19-year-old Steffany Snell, is charged with misdemeanor injury to a child for allegedly leaving her 8-month-old infant home alone for at least two hours early Sunday morning. Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney James A. Murdock said police originally arrested Snell for felony injury to a child, but after reviewing the evidence, the prosecutor charged her with a misdemeanor.

Snell also was charged with misdemeanor driving under the influence. She had been arrested earlier on Sunday by Idaho State Police and booked into the Bonneville County Jail.

When she was arrested, Snell told Idaho State Police Trooper Connie Alder, the arresting officer, that she had attended a party with friends where she had been drinking.

But police reports show that after her arrest, Snell told Idaho Falls police officers that she left her home around 1 a.m. on Sunday to go to WinCo to buy baby food and diapers after drinking two hard ciders and two small cans of beer. She denied attending a party.

After Snell was taken into custody she called her mother to bail her out around 3 a.m.

When her mother asked where the 8-month-old was, Snell told her he was home alone in his crib, according to court documents.

Police responded to Snell’s home and were unable to enter the locked apartment. Officers hit the door three times with a battering ram before it came open.

Once they entered, the police reports show officers found a razor and a number of items on the floor that could be choking hazards. Detectives also discovered bottles of old, curdled milk; one on the floor next to the crib and one inside the crib.

Police also noticed a syringe on the counter and asked Snell if she had used it to give the child any medication to help him sleep. She responded she had administered baby Tylenol because the child was teething.

Police found the child sleeping in his crib with no injuries.

Snell pleaded not guilty to one count of injury to child Monday.

Her next court hearing is scheduled for Aug. 13.

EastIdahoNews.com Reporter Mike Moran contributed to this article.

Steffany-Snell-Police-Report-1

Steffany-Snell-Police-Report-2

Steffany-Snell-Police-Report-3

SUBMIT A CORRECTION