Mugshot of Shylequaa Garray. Photo Credit: THE VIRGIN ISLANDS POLICE DEPARTMENT.
ST. CROIX — Shylequaa Garray is facing child neglect charges after police say she left her 4-year-old and 1-year-old children alone at home while she went for a drive with a friend, with the 4-year-old later found outside near the basketball court at Walter I.M. Hodge Pavilion before dawn Friday.
According to court documents, police were dispatched to the housing community during the early morning hours after receiving a report of an unaccompanied minor.
A resident told VIPD officers that shortly before 1 a.m., he noticed the 4-year-old sitting on a curb in front of one of the buildings. When he approached and asked where the child lived, the child pointed toward another building.
Two other residents eventually identified Garray as the child’s mother and attempted to reach her by telephone. Police said it took some time before she returned their call.
The residents then went to Garray’s home and discovered that the front door was unlocked. One neighbor entered and found that Garray was not there. Her 1-year-old child was inside sleeping.
The residents then contacted 911.
Garray reportedly told the neighbors by telephone that she was returning home.
When she arrived, police said she told officers that she had left approximately two hours earlier to go for a drive with a friend.
According to investigators, Garray admitted leaving her 4-year-old and 1-year-old alone when she departed and said she had locked the door behind her.
She also allegedly acknowledged that this was not the first time she had left the children at home while she went out.
Garray was arrested and charged with child neglect and neglect of parental duty.
Unable to meet the initial $50,000 bail requirement, she was remanded into custody pending an advice of rights hearing scheduled for Monday.
As of press time, the outcome of that first court appearance had not been made publicly available.
The two children were placed in the care of a close relative.
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