A Richmond, Kentucky, woman was arrested earlier this week after police say she left her 1-year-old child alone in her apartment for nearly two hours. Sarah C. Vicker, 34, was taken into custody on December 3, 2025, and charged with first-degree criminal abuse of a child 12 or under and abandonment of a minor, according to Richmond Police. Officers were called to 129 Big Hill Avenue after a complainant reported that Vicker had left her child unattended at her residence. When officers arrived, they made contact with Vicker, who told them she had walked from her apartment to the church, approximately 1.6 miles away, after leaving her 1-year-old daughter inside the home, police said.
According to an arrest citation, Vicker told officers she “no longer wished to be a mother,” left the child in a playpen, and wrote a goodbye note to her significant other before walking away. Police said she admitted she did not leave food with the child and left the apartment door unlocked.
During an interview at the Madison County Detention Center, police said Vicker reported that she last fed the child liquid baby food nearly five hours prior. Officers also stated she acknowledged placing the playpen in the living room near a 65-inch television that the child might have been able to pull down.
Police said the child was unattended for nearly two hours before dispatch was contacted.
Vicker was arrested and lodged in the Madison County Detention Center. Her bond was set at $10,000 cash, and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for December 10.
Authorities did not release the condition of the child, and no additional information was immediately available.
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