Oakdale mom arrested after 5-year-old rushed to hospital with zip tie around her neck
An Oakdale mother was arrested early Tuesday morning after her 5-year-old autistic daughter was rushed to a hospital with a zip tie around her neck.
The child put the zip tie on her neck some time before 4:30 a.m. when she and her 16-year-old brother were left home alone for a period of about 12 hours, according to a press release from Oakdale police.
Authorities said the mother informed her 16-year-old son she was leaving but didn’t tell him where she was going or leave contact information. The boy was left with a phone that could only call 911.
He did just that when his sister alerted him to the zip tie around her neck.
The girl was taken to a hospital to have the zip tie removed, and Oakdale police responded to the home.
When the mother, 37-year-old Lavinia McClendon, returned home, she was arrested on suspicion of child endangerment. She also faces charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of methamphetamine.
Officers searched her vehicle and found a loaded .22 caliber gun, several grams of methamphetamine and nearly $800 in cash.
Child Protective Services took custody of both children, according to the press release.
This story was originally published October 20, 2021 at 9:42 AM.
