A Preston County couple is in custody after their 3-year-old was allegedly found walking alone in a ditch along Herring Road in Kingwood.
According to criminal complaints, the grandparents were notified the child was found walking in the ditch by two people traveling on Herring Road.
After picking up the child, the grandfather reported going to the child’s residence to confront the parents, Matthew Glen Johnson, 26, and Madison Rahnee Nedrow, 24, both of Kingwood.
The grandfather told police that after he beat on the door for a while, Johnson and Nedrow answered. According to the complaint, he noted the inside of the residence was “very dirty and had dog feces covering the floor.” When asked where their child was, the parents said they “did not know.”
After speaking with the grandparents, Trooper M.C. Boggs went to the child’s residence and spoke with Johnson and Nedrow, who allegedly stated the child “must have went out the front door” while they were cleaning in the back bedroom.
Boggs reported Johnson and Nedrow allowed them to step inside the residence and observe the home. The officer noted before stepping into the home “the smell of feces was very strong.”
Upon entering, Boggs said police observed feces all over the kitchen floor, most of which did not appear to be fresh as it was smashed into the floor. Boggs’ report also states, “there was trash and dirty dishes on nearly the entire countertop and floor.”
After observing the residence, the trooper felt the “conditions of the home grossly neglects the child living in the residence.”
According to the complaint, Boggs also made contact with the couple who saw the child along the road and they confirmed they observed a young child walking in the ditch.
Johnson and Nedrow are being held at Tygart Valley Regional Jail after they were arraigned Thursday in Preston County Magistrate Court and charged with child neglect creating risk of injury. Bond for each was set at $10,000 cash.
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