Court records on Tuesday revealed new details about a little girl found alone at 24th Street and Milwaukee Sunday night.
On Monday, police issued a brief statement about the arrest of Douglas Pruitt, 30, of Lubbock for abandoning or neglecting a child. He was released Tuesday morning on bond.
In court records, Children’s Protective Services asked a judge for permission to take temporary custody of the child after an emergency removal from her home.
A driver saw the little girl, described in court records as a 4-year-old, walking alone after 10:00 pm Sunday. The little girl was taken to a nearby fire station and police were called. Police found the girl’s home and a police report said Pruitt was asleep and intoxicated in the home. Police arrested Pruitt and then called CPS.
Court records said, “[A CPS worker] noticed a strong aroma of dog feces at the residence. [The]worker observed the residence to be in disarray.”
Court records also said, “[CPS] observed trash all over the floors, shoes and cat litter on the floor and in the bath tub, a used diaper on the floor, and the pantry floor covered in a white substance.”
“[CPS] observed the refrigerator to have vegetables with a black moldy substance on them, and the base of the refrigerator was covered in a black moldy substance as well. [CPS] observed a pile of clothes on the table in the living room,” court records continued.
The little girl’s mother was out of state on business according to both court records and the police report.
Pruitt and the girl’s mother, Meaghan Howard, have a court hearing with CPS on November 1 according to court records.
