SPRINGFIELD, Ore. — A 24-year-old woman is facing second-degree child neglect charges after allegedly leaving her six-month-old baby at the home of an unknown man in Springfield last August, according to court documents.
Faith Miranda Rhoads is accused of abandoning her infant at a residence in the Hayden Bridge area, a location with a history of criminal activity. Rhoads and her two children had been visiting the home when she reportedly told the man that she needed to leave to retrieve something. When the man returned to his living room a short time later, he discovered the baby was left alone. Rhoads and her older child were nowhere to be found, court records show.
The man contacted Rhoads, who promised to return and pick up the baby. However, she never did. After several hours of waiting, the man contacted the Lane County Sheriff’s Office around 9:30 p.m. By this time, the baby had been left in the home for over seven hours without food or diapers. At 1 a.m., Rhoads finally returned and explained to a sheriff’s deputy that she had gone to retrieve a car seat, which took longer than expected. She also told authorities she didn’t think it was unusual to leave her child alone for an extended period and stated that she had left some Gatorade for the baby.
Rhoads was arrested on January 17, 2025, following a warrant for the child neglect charge. In addition to the neglect charge, she now faces a new charge of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, stemming from an earlier incident in 2019. In that case, Rhoads allegedly stole a car with a baby inside and crashed it several miles away from the scene.
Court records show that Rhoads has a history of criminal activity. She is currently in custody at the Lane County Jail.
This case highlights ongoing concerns about child welfare and the responsibility of parents and caregivers to provide safe environments for children. Rhoads’s arrest follows an incident that placed a vulnerable infant at significant risk. Authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.
