DEPUTY FINDS INFANTS LEFT IN HOME ALONE

The situation began just before 6:00 a.m. on December 31, when the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office (YCSO) received a concerning call. The caller stated that he had to go to work and told the authorities that there were kids at the house in Congress.

A YCSO deputy managed to call the man back. During the conversation, the man confirmed he was the children's father and that there were two 1-year-old infants inside the home.

The deputy explained that the man was responsible for his children and needed to find a babysitter rather than abandon them. Concerned by the phone call and the safety of the children, the deputy immediately drove to the home.

When the deputy arrived, he found a generator running outside, with an extension cord leading to the slightly opened front door. Inside, he discovered infants strapped into car seats, placed directly in front of a space heater. No adults were in the home.

The deputy checked the house for any other occupants before calling the Congress Fire Department to evaluate the children. Because the home was unpowered and cold, firefighters moved the infants to the local station to keep them warm and safe while the investigation continued.

Almost an hour later, deputies were able to speak to both parents in person. The parents, 41-year-old Thomas Jordan and 25-year-old Maira Moreno, are both booked for Child Abuse and possession of drug paraphernalia. The investigation remains ongoing. The children were placed in the care of the Department of Child Safety (DCS).

YCSO extended its thanks to the Congress Fire Department for their quick response and compassionate care of the infants.

"This incident highlights exactly why we trust our deputies to rely on their experience and to treat every call seriously. I am proud of this deputy's quick thinking and his commitment to make sure these two infants were safe." - Sheriff Rhodes