Toddler Falls Out of 2nd-Story Window After Mom Left for ‘a Few Minutes’

An Iowa woman has been arrested after her 1-year-old toddler fell from a second-floor apartment window while she was outside, leaving her three young children unsupervised.

According to a criminal complaint, 35-year-old Angelia Varner was arrested on Monday and charged with one count of child neglect following the incident, which happened on August 18 in Newton, Iowa.

Police say Varner left her three children — ages 23 months, 3 years old, and 9 years old — alone in the apartment while she went out to the parking lot. She allegedly told investigators that she left the 9-year-old in charge of the younger siblings and was gone for “just a few minutes.”

While Varner was outside, neighbors say they saw the 1-year-old fall about 12 feet from the second-floor window. The toddler suffered abrasions and bruising to her head but survived the fall, according to police.

When officers went inside the apartment, they found that the window screen was severely torn, leaving an opening large enough for a small child to slip through. Varner reportedly admitted she had known the screen was damaged for several months and said she left it open that day to “cool the home.”

Neighbors also told police they frequently saw the three children leaning out of the open window and claimed the kids were often left unsupervised, sometimes playing outside without their mother around. The apartment manager told officers Varner never requested repairs for the torn window screen.

Varner was taken into custody and booked into the Jasper County Jail but later released on her own recognizance. She is scheduled to appear in court on September 2.