Warsaw mother arrested for child endangerment after boy found wandering alone

Warsaw, Ill. (KHQA) — A Warsaw mother was arrested on child endangerment charges after a young boy wandered alone in the neighborhood.

Sheriff Travis Duffy reports the arrest resulting from an incident in Warsaw, Illinois on May 14, 2024.

At approximately 6:57 p.m., the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a young boy with special needs wandering the neighborhood near 6th Street and Jackson Street in Warsaw, Illinois.

The boy was reportedly found by a neighbor after he tried to break into another neighbor’s house. It was reported that the boy was found in an unsanitary condition.

The caller discovered and reported that the boy’s mother was not home.

Officers arrived and took protective custody of the boy. Officers knew this family from previous incidents.

The Department of Children and Family Services was called. Officers also examined the condition of the home and reported that it was unsuitable for housing children.

Officers later located the boy’s mother, Heather R. Schrock, 32, of Warsaw, at her workplace and arrested her on child endangerment and child abandonment charges.

Schrock was taken to the Hancock County Jail, where she was held and held overnight pending a detention hearing. She was released the next day with a later court date.

Schrock is considered innocent until proven guilty in court.