The parents of a 7-year-old girl killed in a hit-and-run crash in Clayton County last month have been arrested after an investigation revealed they left three children under the age of 10 alone in a hotel room for hours late at night, authorities said.
Christal Williams, 33, of Jonesboro, and Jordan Wint, 36, of Morrow, were arrested Tuesday on one count each of second-degree cruelty to children, contributing to the deprivation of a minor and reckless conduct, Clayton police said in a news release.
Williams and Wint were the parents of 7-year-old Keymoriona Williams, who wandered onto Tara Boulevard around 2:15 a.m. on Sept. 4 and was hit by a car, according to police. Officials confirmed the girl had epilepsy, which causes seizures that can leave sufferers dazed.
#Update: Updated to Seven-year-old Juvenile Killed in Hit-and-Run Accident
— Clayton County PD (@ClaytonCountyPD) October 5, 2022
Parents arrest. Please access Facebook link for more details.... pic.twitter.com/mzvMOCVK9a
The driver involved in the crash left the scene and the child died from her injuries, police said. In their original statement, police said it was possible the driver did not know they hit someone and asked for help from the public.
Officers found Keymoronia Williams dead at the scene when they responded to a hit-and-run call at the corner of Southside Commercial Parkway and Tara Boulevard, police said. As they investigated, officers learned the girl was alone, so they began knocking on doors at two hotels in the area. Eventually, they came to a door that was open and saw two children sleeping inside. Officers later learned both children in the room were 9 years old.
Investigators were able to access security camera footage from a business in the area that showed Keymoriona Williams wandering into the hotel parking lot, then onto Tara Boulevard before being hit, police said. The footage also revealed her parents left her and the other children alone for nearly four hours, authorities said. Police said the couple left a cellphone in case the kids needed to contact them.
Once officers found the other two children safe, they were able to contact the parents and tell them to return to the hotel. According to police, investigators found that Wint and Williams had taken drugs before leaving the children to deliver food for Uber Eats.
No further details were released about the drugs or why both parents were needed for the food deliveries. The drug tests were administered by the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services, police said. A spokeswoman for the department has not responded to questions about the drug tests.
Wint and Williams remain in the Clayton jail with a $30,000 bond.
The 9-year-olds were removed by DFCS and placed with relatives in another state, police said.
Authorities did not share further details about the hit-and-run suspect or say if charges would be taken out against the driver.
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