Parents of Benton City ‘Runaways’ Arrested for Neglect

The parents of a 7 and 9-year-old Alijah Jacobs and Laitaiziah Waddell have been arrested by Benton County Deputies following the locating of the children early Sunday morning.

Deputies were called to a home in Benton City where the 7-year-old boy and his 9-year-old sister were reporting missing, said to have run away.

They were located Sunday morning in a park by a citizen who was helping search for the kids. They had last been seen around 7:30PM in the Benton City Park. When found around 7AM Sunday morning, they were taken to Kadlec ER for evaluation. They were OK except for being very cold and hungry.

Deputies did not elaborate on the charges, only to say the parents are in custody.