Muncie PD: Toddler in soiled diaper wandered into gas station at 4 a.m.

MUNCIE, Ind. — A Muncie clerk called police after a 3-year-old wandered into a gas station at 4 a.m. wearing nothing but a shirt and soiled diaper, court documents reveal.

With no parent or guardian in sight, Muncie police officers began searching the area to discover where the unaccompanied child had come from. Police eventually found a home on E. Berkley that had a door that was ajar.

Inside the home, police reportedly discovered Kayla Rouse, who was not only allegedly in a state of impairment but also was supposed to be caring for the child in question.

Court documents detail how both the front and back doors of Rouse’s home were open. This allowed the toddler to wander out of the house at 3:30 a.m., only to be found several blocks away at the gas station.

According to police, Rouse had no idea the child was even missing.

Rouse was arrested early Monday on a preliminary count of neglect of a dependent as a Level 6 felony. The Indiana Department of Child Services took custody of the child.

At this time, no official charges have been filed against Rouse. The Delaware County Prosecutor’s Office will make final charging decisions.