Mount Pleasant mother pleads not guilty to child neglect

Kayla Ritchie, the boys’ mother, was charged with three counts of child neglect along with her father, Jarrel Gordon, and the children’s uncle, Dalton Ritchie. Each fee takes into account that the children were under 6 years old.

Gordon pleaded not guilty in September. Dalton Ritchie has a bail/bond hearing scheduled for Oct. 28.

According to a criminal complaint, Mount Pleasant police were dispatched to the Oakes Road motel and found two 5-year-olds and a 3-year-old playing outside a room. Officers had reportedly responded to the same address three times with similar complaints.

The complaint said the door to the motel room was ajar and police found the room in disarray, with feces, clothing, trash and dirty diapers allegedly scattered throughout the room.

Dalton Ritchie was reportedly sleeping on a dirty mattress in the back of the room.

Gordon and Kayla Ritchie arrived later, and according to the complaint, all three allegedly said they knew the older children could open the door and leave the room.

Kayla Ritchie is scheduled to appear at the Racine County Courthouse for a status conference on November 25th.