Laura Beitler, Mentor, Ohio mom two young daughters, ages 3 and 8-years-old found wandering alone in frigid temperatures leading to her being charged with child endangerment as the mom explains she and her 5 daughters, of which three have autism had recently been evicted.
An Ohio mother has been charged with child endangerment after two of her five young kids were found wandering outside in extreme cold temperatures after managing to unlock the hotel door room they were staying in Mentor.
Laura Beitler’s two daughters, ages 8 and 3 years old had at some point walked outside in frigid temperatures, with the youngest daughter spotted wandering alone and crying just on 12.25 a.m, Thursday leading to a concerned resident at the Extended Stay America hotel calling police.
Mom soon realizes her 8-year-old daughter was also missing
Police said the 3-year-old girl was only wearing a sweater in temperatures of 8 Fahrenheit degrees (-13.3333 Celsius) with 10 MPH winds. Officers quickly put the young girl in a warm police cruiser.
Officers and hotel residents determined that the little girl had been staying at the hotel with her family.
When officers found the family’s room and reached out to the mother about the 3-year-old, the mom realized her 8-year-old daughter had also left the room, the parent said according to Cleveland19.
‘I didn’t know how the baby got outside because everyone was asleep. But once I realized that my 8-year-old was also missing, I realized exactly what happened because this isn’t the first time, but the second time my 8-year-old has left with my youngest,’ Beitler, 36, told the outlet.
The revelation led to more officers and sheriff’s deputies, along with hotel residents, assisting in the search for the missing 8-year-old, who was described as being autistic. A resident found the 8-year-old, only wearing a t-shirt and sneakers wandering alone nearby.
Mentor mom with 5 kids, three of which are autistic were recently evicted
Beitler told the outlet that she and her five children, of which three are diagnosed with autism had been evicted by Lucas Metropolitan Housing Authority (LMHA) and were living at the hotel.
Explained the mom, ‘We are living here right now cause we were evicted by LMHA. Because of how dirty my house was, because of my depression, and everything I’m going through with the autistic children. I have no help. I have begged and begged and pleaded for the county and other people to help, and no one has stepped in to help.’
The father took custody of the girls once he arrived on the scene. Police said the father had been away earlier due to a family emergency. The stasis and the father’s occupation was not immediately clear.
Speaking to 3News the mom further explained, ‘I feel horrible. I mean, one of my worst fears is for something to happen to my daughter, someone coming and taking her because gets outside. And she doesn’t just leave with clothes on either — she will leave with nothing on, because clothing to autistic children is restrictive and sometimes they don’t want to wear it, and she’s one of those children that doesn’t like to wear their clothing.’
Following her arrest the mom was charged with endangering children. She has since posted bond using the money for this week’s hotel stay.
The two children are safe and back with their father and mother, after being checked out for precautionary reasons. Child Protective Services is now involved and is allowing the children to stay with their mother as long as another adult is there for supervision.
Beitler says she is now working with child protective services on a safety plan, but admits she is overwhelmed and ‘scared,’ and admits she needs help.
Beitler is scheduled to appear in court on Monday.
