A year in prison is the punishment for an Indiana mother who endangered her 2-month-old twins by putting them in a milk crate and riding a bike with them across Indianapolis.
The mother, Blossum Kirby, 36, was convicted of neglect of a dependent on Monday after her shocking behavior was exposed last June, Fox 59 reported.
Witnesses captured disturbing images of Kirby’s twins, a boy and a girl, lying in the crate with only diapers on, while the hot summer sun beat down on them.
The babies were not secured in any way and the crate was loosely tied to the front of the bike with a bungee cord, according to authorities.
Kirby was arrested after several people called 911 to report her reckless actions, including one who said they saw her almost lose balance and fall from her bike.
Brian Henderson, one of the witnesses, said he initially thought Kirby had some toys in the crate until he noticed one of the babies moving his arm.
He confronted Kirby in a video that went viral on social media at the time and told her: “You can’t have those babies in there like that, ma’am.”
Another witness, Suezanne Lynch, said she intervened to help and called for medical assistance.
She said Kirby told her that before she stopped her, she had one baby in front and one in the back of the bike.
“She couldn’t control the bike that well, so she put both babies in the one milk crate in the front. [She said] that was her way of transporting the babies any time she left,” Lynch told the local outlet.
Kirby told the officers who responded that she didn’t have a car and that she always carried her babies in the milk crate. She didn’t think there was anything wrong with that.
The twins were taken to a nearby hospital where they were treated for sunburns and minor injuries.
The Department of Child Services was informed of Kirby’s arrest, but it is unclear who has custody of the twins now.
