Illinois authorities arrested a 19-year-old woman after she allegedly admitted to dumping her 3-week-old daughter in a remote area.
Kendra Meaker, of Toulon, a city located about 30 miles northwest of Peoria, was charged in Stark County Circuit Court on Friday, with obstruction of justice and endangering the life or health of a child. Meaker, who also has an 11-month-old daughter, is being held on a $10,000 bond.
Meaker came to the attention of police on Sept. 27, when she reported someone had abducted her baby from the back seat of her car while she was mailing a package at a local post office. Illinois State Police immediately issued an Amber Alert for the missing toddler.
According to Stark County Sheriff Jimmie Dison, investigators were suspicious of Meaker's story.
"I didn't believe her," Dison said in Stark County Circuit Court Friday.
When the FBI joined the search they questioned Meaker and she allegedly admitted she had abandoned her infant daughter along a rural roadside outside of town.
At 8 p.m., nearly 12 hours after the infant was placed alongside the road, a pair of search volunteers found the baby. She was alive and crying when they located her. The infant was transported to a local hospital for medical attention and is reportedly doing well.
Meaker said nothing about her alleged actions during her first court appearance Friday. Following the hearing, the young woman's aunt, Sandy Hollingsworth read from a brief statement.
"This has been a hellish 24 hours that our family has endured," Hollingsworth said.
Meaker's next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 12. If convicted on all counts, she faces up to four year's imprisonment.
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