Toddlers Found Alone, Mother Charged, Father Arrested
GOLDEN, Colo. (CBS4)– The mother of the toddlers found wandering alone in the street on Wednesday has been cited by the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office. Their father has been arrested.
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office tweeted out that the boys' mother, Amberay Snyder, has been cited for child abuse for not ensuring the kids were in capable hands when dropped off.
"The mother has some responsibility to ensure that the children are left in capable hands," Mark Techmeyer, a spokesperson for the JeffCo Sheriff's Office, said. "And we do not believe she did that which proved to be the fact with the kids being left on their own for over five hours."
One of Snyder's neighbors said she was shocked to learn deputies cited her for child abuse because she knows Snyder to be a loving, friendly mom.
"She's a great mom," Vanessa Fernandez told CBS4. "From what I can tell, seeing her with her kids, she's all about them."
Kyle McClelland, the father of the children, appeared by a video feed in court Thursday morning for the first of two mandated Thursday court appearances.
McClelland, 25, was arrested Wednesday evening. Deputies believe he neglected his two toddler sons in a case the judge called "very concerning."
The boys are a 2-year-old and a 3-year-old. A retired teacher said she found them running around in her neighborhood without any shoes in the 5400 block of South Quail Way.
Deputies searched for five hours before McClelland was located. It turns out he was at home a few blocks from where the boys were discovered.
Deputies learned of McClelland's whereabouts when Snyder called authorities after she received a call from a friend saying she saw Snyder's toddlers on the news. Snyder told deputies she left the boys with their father Wednesday morning.
McClelland told deputies he was napping at his grandmother's house at the time the boys were found and that he didn't realize they were gone, according to court documents.
"The bottom line, there are ponds in that area, there is traffic in that area, people backing out of their driveways. These boys were in serious danger for a long period of time until they were actually, rescued if you will, by a concerned citizen," Techmeyer said.
Snyder does not live with McClelland, they are divorced. CBS4 reached out to Snyder for comment, but did not hear back. However, Snyder's father says he is "disappointed" yet happy his grandsons are now home with him.
McClelland remains in custody on a $2,000 bond.
Kelly Werthmann joined the CBS4 team in 2012 as the morning reporter, covering national stories like the Aurora Theater Shooting and devastating Colorado wildfires. She now reports for CBS4 News at 10 and is always open to story ideas. Connect with her on Facebook or Twitter @KellyCBS4.
