Mother Who Was Accused of Leaving Children Home Alone for 2 Days Arrested Alongside Man Who Faces Drug Charges

The children told sheriff’s deputies they last spoke to and saw their mother on Friday, Sept. 11

NEED TO KNOW

• Sullivan County, Tenn. sheriff’s deputies responded to a home where four children were allegedly alone on Sunday, Sept. 13
• Their mother, Thea Chyanne Sorrell, later arrived at the home and was arrested on charges of child abuse and child endangerment
• Sorrell was a passenger in a truck driven by Matthew Brown, who had drugs and firearms in his vehicle, police said

Tennessee deputies arrested a mother on child neglect and endangerment charges after she allegedly left her four children home alone for days.

At around 9 a.m. local time on Sunday, Sept. 13, Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived at a home in Kingsport, a city in northeast Tennessee, to respond to a call reporting that four children were home alone, police said.

When they arrived, deputies spoke with the children. “They learned the children’s mother had not been home since Friday and had not spoken with the children since then either,” police alleged, adding that responding deputies saw “unsanitary and unsafe conditions” at the home and a dog that did not have access to food or water. Deputies called the Department of Children’s Services and Sullivan County Animal Control to assist at the scene.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

The children’s mother, Thea Chyanne Sorrell, 33, later arrived at the home. She was a passenger in a truck driven by Matthew Brown, 37, police said. Both were taken into custody.

Sorrell was charged with three felony counts of Child Abuse/Neglect, Child 8 or under, and one misdemeanor count each of cruelty to animals and child endangerment. She was held at Sullivan County Jail under a $50,000 bond.

Deputies also discovered Brown had two active warrants in Sullivan County for violating probation and failing to appear. He was also driving with a suspended license, police said. 

During their search, deputies said they found “what appeared to be methamphetamine” in Brown’s pocket. They also said a small clear brown bag “containing a brown, powdery substance believed to be heroin,” four loaded firearms and multiple bags “containing a substance believed to be methamphetamine, totaling 306 grams” were found inside Brown’s truck. One of the weapons was reported stolen from the City of Kingsport, police said.

Deputies also found 18.5 pills in containers that were not their original containers and a pipe “with residue commonly used with methamphetamine,” they alleged. They also said they found a bag with “what is believed to be marijuana,” mushrooms “believed to be psychedelics,” knives, firearm ammunition, brass knuckles, an axe and about $5,000.

Brown gave police consent to search his home, where they found two more firearms, police said.

He was charged with multiple felonies, including maintaining a dwelling where drugs are sold; manufacture/delivery/sale/possession of controlled substances; prohibited weapons; four counts of possession of a firearm during commission of a dangerous felony; and seven counts of unlawful carrying or possession of a weapon. He was also charged with multiple misdemeanors related to drugs and violating probation.

Brown remains in custody at the Sullivan County Jail on a $100,000 bond.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

Read the full article here