COBB COUNTY, Ga. — A woman accused of leaving her child home alone for hours is in jail without bond.
Hailey Saunders is charged with Cruelty to Children and Reckless Conduct.
Channel 2 Cobb County Bureau Chief Michele Newell spoke exclusively with neighbors who said they called 911 and stayed with the boy for hours.
They don’t want to be identified because they are afraid of retaliation.
They said they heard the boy screaming for help just before midnight on March 29.
“I was literally shaking, my heart was about to pop out when I heard that child screaming so loud. All of a sudden, I hear a little child’s voice screaming for help, help me, help me, help me someone help me help and I literally ran outside,” a neighbor said.
Another neighbor ran down the stairs to help the boy, while a third neighbor woke up from her sleep to help the child.
“The little boy said that he just woke up and his mommy was gone. He was by himself and he was crying. I was so scared for him and I called 911 they took a little but to get here like 40 minutes. Another neighbor gave him some water and some chips cause he was hungry too,” a neighbor said.
Police said they found discarded food and marijuana inside Saunders home. According to the arrest warrant, investigators said the home was not in the condition for children to live in.
Police said the child’s father arrived to get the child before the mother arrived.
Neighbors said the mother arrived after 2 a.m. They initially found the boy just before midnight.
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