Police: Parents Neglected Surgery For Newborn

Two Crawford County residents were arrested after they allegedly neglected to take their newborn child in for a potentially life-saving surgery.

Katie Chester, 26, and Lucas Bock, 26, both of Cuba, have been charged with first-degree endangering the welfare of a child and abuse or neglect of a child — no sexual contact.

Cuba Police arrested Chester and Bock on June 13, the day their newborn was scheduled to receive a hernia surgery.

According to the probable cause statement, police did a well-being check on the couple at a residence in the 200 block of Mueller Drive on June 12.

They were scheduled to be at the hospital for a pre-op, but did not show for the appointment.

The person at the home said the couple had left the day before and could be at a house in Sullivan. They also told police to contact the Division of Family Services because Chester and Bock were denied from staying at their home.

An officer went to BJC in Cuba and spoke to a nurse, who said the baby could die without having the surgery.

Several appointments had been missed at the office, according to the nurse.

The officer eventually contacted Bock, who said he knew they had missed the appointment but would reschedule. Bock was told it was urgent to contact BJC and that without the surgery, the baby could die.

Bock said the baby was fine and there was nothing wrong with him.

The officer told Bock that if he did not call, charges would be filed for child neglect. The officer gave Bock 10 minutes to call.

When the officer tried calling back, Bock did not answer his phone.

After that, the officer contacted the resident on Mueller Drive and asked if they had heard from Chester. They said no, but that the baby had been dropped off at a friend’s house. That friend took the baby to Chester’s sister’s home. 

The probable cause statement said the officer spoke to an unnamed person at 8 p.m. who had the baby.

The baby was okay, but the person with him was worried about his breathing. He had red bumps all over his face, shoulders, arms and stomach. Everything in his diaper bag was “filthy.”

When the baby was dropped off, he was wearing only a diaper and was “shivering.”

Chester was reportedly high when she dropped the baby off according to an unnamed person in the probable cause.

The person said they were supposed to take Chester and the baby to the pre-op, but they never showed up.