October 20, 2017
By Paragon News Director Paul Joseph –
A Clinton woman has been ordered to appear for formal arraignment in December on child neglect charges.
32-year-old Rebecca Sue Burnett appeared in district court Thursday on the criminal felony charge where the court found probable cause that the defendant had committed the crime.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Burnett was jailed after her six children were allegedly left alone in their bug infested house with no running water.
The court document says that the six children, ranging in age from 11-years old to two years old, had gone to a neighbors home telling neighbors that there was no one home at their house. That was at 10 am. When Clinton police arrived a little before 4 pm, they had to enter the residence – located in the 300 block of North 17th Street – through an open window to attempt to locate and check on the welfare of the children’s mother, Burnett. They were unable to locate her, however, she arrived on the scene while officers were wrapping up their investigation with a representative from the Department of Human Services, Child Welfare.
The investigator wrote in the affidavit that the condition of the residence posed a clear and obvious health and safety risk. Alleged unhealthy conditions in the residence included floors covered in a deep layer of dirty clothes, trash and toys that had cockroaches and other insects infesting them. Additionally found were exposed wiring, dirty dishes, jagged and sharp glass edges in broken windows accessible to children and a lack of running water.
The only bedroom with a working air conditioner was Burnett’s, according to the document, and the children’s rooms had windows that either had no glass or broken jagged pieces.
In a separate case, Burnett is also facing a felony charge of possession of a CDS, a controlled, dangerous substance – a charge that was filed in June, one month before her latest incident.
Appearing during her preliminary hearing with her attorney, the judge ordered Burnett to check into an intensive outpatient treatment facility immediately.
She’s due back in Custer County District Court on December 4 where her case is on the felony motion docket.
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