Baby Covered In Ants Found On Car Floor, 2 Kentucky Women Arrested

Two women were arrested Thursday after authorities found a 16-day-old baby on the floor of their minivan covered with ants and wearing soiled diapers.

The child's mother, Rebecca Jean Fultz, 32, of Livingston and London native and grandmother of the child, Charolette Simpson, 69, were also charged with first-degree child abuse, The Times Tribune reported.

Both were arrested by Laurel Coutry Sheriff's Sgt. Greg Poynter “tried to initiate a traffic stop” on the vehicle that the women were driving, but they failed to stop.

According to a press release from the Laurel County Sheriff's Office, the pair continued to travel about a quarter-mile until they decided to stop in a driveway along Old Richmond Road, some two miles north of London.

The women were driving a green Chrysler Town & Country, the post added, which was also posted on the Office's Facebook page. The responding deputies learned that Fultz and Simpson had pending bench warrants shortly after they made contact with the vehicle.

Fultz, who was the passenger, refused to cooperate and had to be removed from the minivan. As deputies continued with their investigation, one of the suspects said that there was a baby in the vehicle. The authorities were not able to locate the infant immediately as there was no “child safety seat that was mounted in the vehicle."

Instead, they found the baby on the floor between the two front seats of the minivan. His face was facing the center console. Furthermore, the baby “had labored breathing, with ants crawling on it, soiled diaper."

The position of the 16-month-old infant created a hazard, the press release said, adding that the vehicle had no airconditioner.

Deputies also found trash and debris inside the minivan, as well as a flatscreen TV which could have been easily thrown about during a sudden stop. The assistance of Laurel County's Ambulance Inc. was needed soon after they realized that the baby was needed to be transported to a hospital because of his condition.

Former paramedic Deputy Joey Robinson drove the ambulance to St. Joseph Hospital London so that the attendants can put their attention on the baby.

The baby's condition improved following treatment from the hospital.

Aside from criminal abuse, Fultz was charged with resisting arrest and menacing. She will also face a Rockcastle District Court bench warrant of arrest charging failure to appear in court on charges of faiulre to use child restraint device in vehicle; failure of owner to maintain required insurance – first offense and failure to produce insurance card.

Simpson, meanwhile will be slapped with operating on suspended or revoked operator's license, failure to wear seatbelts, failure of non-owner operator to maintain required insurance – first offense, no registration plates and no registration receipts.

She was also charged on a Rockcastle District Court bench warrant of arrest charging failure to appear in court on charges of operating on suspended or revoked operator's license.

Both women were lodged at the Laurel County correctional center.