JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Two suspects were arrested in Jacksonville following a multi-jurisdictional investigation into allegations of child neglect involving four children who had been living in the cab of a semitruck since 2019, according to court documents.
{Warning: The arrest report contains graphic details of child neglect}
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The arrests
Keisha Monique Epps, 51, of Georgia, was booked into the Duval County jail on four counts of child neglect. Her co-defendant, Tamra Stewart, 37, also of Georgia, faces capital sexual battery charges.
Each count of child neglect carries a bond amount of $100,003. As conditions of bond, Epps is required to wear a GPS ankle monitor, have no contact with minors, victims, witnesses or co-defendants, and is prohibited from possessing firearms or consuming alcohol and drugs.
Living conditions
Investigators say the four children had been living in the cab of a semitruck driven by Epps — a truck driver for a company operating between Atlanta, Georgia, and Miami, Florida — since December 2019.
The children were reportedly forced to share a single bunk, sleeping side by side and curled up because they could not fit lying flat. They were rarely allowed out of the cab, even to use the restroom. According to the report, the children said they were fed poorly and denied adequate exercise or movement.
Education, medical care denied, according to report
Investigators say the children were not enrolled in an accredited school. The last confirmed enrollment in a recognized school was November 2020. Instead, the children were directed to use an app that is not recognized as a formal educational tool or accredited institution.
The children reportedly did not receive medical or dental care, even in cases of injury or illness. The report states that one of the children burned herself severely with cooked noodles and was not taken for medical treatment, leaving her with a permanent scar.
Abuse allegations
Stewart is accused of sexually abusing the children, with the incidents reportedly occurring while Epps was driving, sleeping or showering. The children told investigators that Epps was informed of the abuse but did not believe them and continued to leave them alone with Stewart.
The report also alleges he physically abused the children by punching them in the head on multiple occasions. Epps is further accused of calling the children derogatory names and blaming them for Stewart’s behavior.
When a JSO Detective first encountered the children, the report notes they were walking with an unnatural gait, attributed to years of confinement in the cab of the truck.
Both Stewart and Epps were both in the Duval County Jail as of Wednesday night.