Teasia Leonard put her two-year-old son’s safety at serious risk when the toddler was shot last month, according to court documents. The woman has now been charged with child endangerment.
On May 31, the 22-year-old mother allegedly left the toddler in her bedroom alone on Nottingham Road. A few moments later, the toddler was shot. Local 12 reported earlier that the shooting occurred in the Villages at Roll Hill at approximately 12 p.m.
READ ALSO: Toddler shoots and kills mom while she’s on Zoom work call, police say
RELATED STORIES
Police at the time did not disclose the circumstances surrounding the shooting, but the child was transported to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. The toddler was in stable condition as of that afternoon, according to the Cincinnati Police Department.
During Leonard’s most recent arraignment, the assistant prosecutor said that the toddler shot himself, Local 12 reported.
According to the mother’s lawyer, Leonard doesn’t own a gun, but she recently began dating someone who invited a friend home. She had no knowledge that a gun was in the house.
A grandmother is caring for the toddler, and Job and Family Services (JFS) is involved.
Leonard’s bond was set at $1,000 by the judge. She is, however, not permitted to see her son until JFS grants her permission. She must not possess any firearms.
Another man, Carmelo Anderson, was arrested earlier this month in connection with this investigation. Anderson, 21, faces further charges related to the incident. According to officials, he gave the gun to someone and instructed them to dispose of it after the incident. Anderson faces charges of tampering with evidence and child endangerment.
An Ohio state appeals court halted the city’s 2023 ordinance that would have regulated gun storage under the state’s current child endangerment laws. In a 2024 ruling, the court stated that most local gun regulations are prohibited under state law, according to Cincinnati.com.
According to the ordinance, firearms should not be stored in areas where “a child is able to gain access to the firearm,” as this poses a serious risk to a child’s health and safety. It was designed to allow charges to be filed even if no one was injured in an incident.
