St Augustine mother jailed for child neglect

Yesterday afternoon, 19 year-old Cheyenne Haley Nichole Fulcher of St Augustine was arrested when investigators determined that the she might have lied about arrangements she says were made to care for her two small children while she went off to work.

St Johns County sheriff’s deputies were called to Bernard’s Trailer Park, located at 656 Francis Street in St Augustine, when neighbors heard cries from the children locked inside the mobile home around 2:30 a.m. on the 18th of last month.

According to witness statements collected by Deputy Coby Seckinger at the scene, one of Fulcher’s neighbors was walking his dog when he heard screams as he passed her trailer. The witness saw a small child “hitting the window and crying out mommy”, the report said.

Another resident and the manager were called to the mobile home and were able to coax the three-year old to unlock the door to let them in. Once inside, the incident report says they discovered two boys; the three-year old and another boy who is only one-year old. They were alone in the trailer without supervision but did not appear injured.

According to the lease, the residence was rented to Fulcher and Randall Jackson.

Fulcher’s place of employment was ascertained from the lease and deputies contacted her at the truck stop where she works. Fulcher told the officers that her friend from high school “Alyssa” was at the house watching her children. Fulcher further stated that she usually takes the children over to Jackson’s mother’s house when she goes to work.

The witness and Fulcher each completed sworn affidavits of their version of the night’s events. Fulcher was also given a card with the case number then Deputy Seckinger notified the Department of Children and Family Services of the incident.

During the weeks that followed, investigators attempted to identify “Alyssa” from information provided by Fulcher — at one point obtaining and showing her the yearbook photographs from Pedro Menendez High School for 2008 – 2011. Fulcher was never able to identify the person who she claims was watching her two children.

Fulcher said that she never knew Alyssa’s last name, she gave different accounts of which years they were in school together, she told authorities that Alyssa unexplainably showed up at her trailer one day, riding a bicycle, and that she had no way to contact her. When asked, Fulcher told investigators that she did not know Alyssa’s cell phone number and that she did not leave a phone number for Alyssa to reach either her or Jackson in the event of a problem.

Authorities concluded that there likely was no “Alyssa” and that, regardless, Fulcher was responsible for the neglect of her two children.

Each charge brought against Fulcher is a third-degree felony.

Fulcher remains in custody today in lieu of $20,000 bond.