Rogers County Woman Accused Of Leaving Her Autistic Grandson In Kansas

A Rogers County grandmother is in jail, accused of dumping her 17-year-old autistic grandson at a Kansas rest stop and leaving him there alone.

Investigators say the boy has the mental capacity of a five-year-old and does not have the ability to communicate. They say he was left with no money, no medication, and no food. They say the only way for him to stay warm was to stay inside the bathroom. They say he was there for 24 hours before Kansas deputies took him to a hospital. They posted his picture on social media and an Oklahoma teacher recognized him.

The boy’s grandmother, Janie Gill, says she’s raising her grandson, Guy after his parents died from drug abuse. She says he's severely disabled and has become a lot harder to deal with since he’s gotten bigger. She says she’s asked for help, but, hasn’t received any.

After the boy was identified, they contacted Gill. They say she told them she'd given the boy to a relative in Ada.

Sgt Wes Jones with the Rogers Co Sheriff's Office says, "They eventually tracked down that family member and learned she's in a nursing home in Nevada. It's a lockdown facility and she's not left there in three years."

They say Gill eventually confessed to them, but she denied abandoning the boy to News on six crime reporter Lori Fullbright during a jailhouse interview.

Lori asked Gill, "People are going to say, how can you say you love him and do that to him?"

Gill responded, "Well, I do love him and did the best I could by him. I did not leave him behind."

Lori asked Gill, "Why not take him to a hospital or police station if you were looking for help?"

Gill replied, "I was trying to get help while he was in the home."

Investigators say neighbors told them Dill locked Guy in his room when she left the house. They found a deadbolt on the outside of a bedroom door.

Gill said, "I never neglected him. Everywhere I went, he went. I never left him alone."

Sgt Wes Jones, Rogers Co Sheriff's Office says,  "At the end of the day, she's the one who's supposed to care and love this child and she just abandoned him."

He says Guy is now in a loving home and appears very happy.

Gill faces a child neglect charge in Rogers County, then Kansas is expected to file additional felony charges there