Missouri mom accused of abandoning 4yo at a truck stop, then denying she was hers. Police discover what she left behind with her two sons

A four-year-old girl was allegedly left alone in a Missouri truck stop parking lot in the early hours of the morning. Her mother, Kayla Marie Christensen, is now facing felony charges after reportedly telling police that the child was not hers.

Christensen was arrested by the Neosho Police Department on Friday, October 23. Investigators say she drove away from the Love’s Travel Stop with her two sons, leaving her daughter behind. Officers later found suspected drug paraphernalia in her vehicle.

The incident unfolded overnight in Newton County, Missouri, after emergency dispatchers received a call about a young child walking around without an adult. According to Us Weekly, officers were sent to the truck stop to investigate.

She allegedly denied even having a daughter

They arrived at about 3 a.m. and found the four-year-old alone in the parking lot. Investigators say Christensen had dropped her off and driven away rather than returning to collect her.

A criminal complaint filed by Newton County prosecutors says Christensen left with her two other children, both boys. When officers eventually stopped her vehicle, they found that neither boy was properly restrained. Neither was sitting in an age-appropriate car seat.

The vehicle also contained items that raised further concerns. An affidavit from the Neosho Police Department says officers found suspected drug paraphernalia, including several used syringes. Police said the circumstances put the boys at risk, along with other people on the road.

Christensen’s response when officers asked about the girl added another troubling detail to the investigation. She allegedly told them that the two boys in her vehicle were her only children and denied having a daughter. Prosecutors have pointed to that statement, as well as her decision to leave the girl behind, as evidence of her alleged intent to abandon her.

There were also reports about what Christensen did after leaving the truck stop. According to local media accounts, she drove to a casino in Wyandotte, Kansas. She allegedly left her two sons inside the vehicle while she went into the establishment.

Authorities have not disclosed a motive

Christensen faces one count of first-degree child abandonment and two counts of first-degree child endangerment. She was booked into the Newton County Jail before being released on Tuesday, October 27, according to automated court records.

Authorities have not disclosed a motive for the alleged abandonment. It is also unclear from the available court records whether Christensen has hired a private attorney or entered a plea. The Neosho Police Department says its investigation into the family’s welfare is continuing.