Baton Rouge couple arrested for child desertion on Valentine's Day

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BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) -
A Baton Rouge couple was arrested on Valentine's Day after allegedly leaving their 5-year-old daughter with a stranger.

Around 1 p.m. on Tuesday, February 14, the couple, Shane White, 37, and Lacey Allen, 32, allegedly left their daughter in the care of an unknown woman, saying they would return for the child in 45 minutes. When the woman says White and Allen did not return for the child by 3 p.m., she contacted police. Police took custody of the child and the Department of Children and Family Services was notified.

Around 8 p.m. the same day, after DCFS interviewed the child, officers attempted to locate the parents at the Woodacres Motel on Airline Hwy., where they were reportedly residing. White and Allen arrived back at the motel shortly after officers did. With them was their 2-year-old daughter in a vehicle piled full of trash and dirty diapers. Officers also noted the vehicle only had one child car seat in it.

Officers then search the room the couple was staying in and observed that it was "filthy," with food and clothes on the floor, as well as spoiling food on the kitchen stove and a sink full of dirty pans. The report also states the refrigerator was empty except for a gallon jug of milk containing approximately one cup of milk. The only furniture in the room was a queen size bed, two tables, and a night stand.

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