Mother Arrested After Autistic Son Jumps From Window, Tests Positive for Cocaine

A 6-year-old boy with autism jumped from a second-story apartment window in Fairmont, West Virginia, on Monday, August 10, and later tested positive for cocaine, leading to his mother's arrest on felony child neglect charges. The child's mother, Stevie Thibodeaux, 30, was taken into custody and is being held at the North Central Regional Jail.

The incident began when a Marion County Sheriff's Office deputy responded to a report that the child had jumped from a window at the Unity Terrace apartment complex. Upon arrival, the deputy observed an open window with its screen on the ground. Thibodeaux told investigators she was asleep when her son jumped and explained that the boy has autism. She showed the officer childproof locks on the apartment doors that she said typically prevented the child from leaving.

The child was transported to Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown for evaluation. The following day, Child Protective Services notified the sheriff's office that the boy had tested positive for cocaine. Using a copy of the test results, deputies obtained a search warrant for Thibodeaux's home.

During the search, authorities allegedly discovered a white plate with a white powder...