Jessica Tollett
Charges and bond have been reduced for the mother of an 11-month-old child who died in a hot car on the parking lot of a chicken place on Tunnel Boulevard on July 8.
Jessica Tollett was not charged in the child's death, but was arrested on three counts of aggravated child neglect because of living conditions for her three children.
Travis McCullough, the father of the children, is charged in the child's death. He was tending to his father's chicken place at the time of the fatal incident.
Prosecutor Boyd Patterson conceded that the two-year-old sister and five-year-old brother of the child who died had not suffered serious bodily harm, so the charges for Ms. Tollett were cut to attempted aggravated child neglect.
Erinn O'Leary of the public defender's office had unsuccessfully argued that they should be dropped to misdemeanors of attempted child neglect. General Sessions Court Judge Alex McVeagh kept the aggravated portion in place, citing filthy living conditions for the children at the College Hill Courts.
He lowered the three bonds from $100,000 each to $25,000 each.
An investigator said trash was everywhere at the couple's unit, and there was urine and feces along with roaches all over the walls in the room where the children stayed. The only food in the unit was some individual bags of potato chips.
The investigator said the boy was skinny and malnourished. He had black eyes and a mark between his eyes on his forehead. He also had marks on his back.
Sgt. Jamie Barrow said she had an encounter with the couple in July 2012. She said their child had been left alone in a filthy room at the Rodeway Inn on Brainerd Road.
The couple was cited for child neglect, but the case was later dismissed and expunged.
Ms. O'Leary said Ms. Tollett had worked four years at Walmart, but will likely lose that job. She said the couple is being evicted from the College Hill Courts. The children are with Child Protective Services.
Prosecutor Boyd Patterson said if Ms. Tollett gets out of jail "she should start working to be the mother these children deserve."