11-year-old Arizona boy left home alone for weeks after Thanksgiving, parents accused of child neglect

An 11-year-old boy was left alone in his Arizona home for weeks around Thanksgiving and now police say his parents have been charged with child neglect.

Around 6:45 p.m. on Dec. 12, 2021, officers received a call for a welfare check at a residence in Elfrida, Arizona, the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office said.

According to authorities, the caller stated a family was living at the residence and the 11-year-old son was possibly there alone for an undetermined length of time.

At the scene, officers found the 11-year-old was home alone. An investigation determined his mother left the residence to go out of state before Thanksgiving and his father followed shortly after Thanksgiving, officials said. The boy was left alone the entire time.

The child told police there was frozen food available and he did not go to school during the previous two weeks.

Police said they made attempts to contact the boy’s parents and family members but were unsuccessful and the child was turned over to Child Protective Services.

Both parents were indicted on child neglect charges and they were arrested on Dec. 29, 2021, after returning home, police said.

Melissa Green, 34, was booked into the Cochise County Jail on three counts of child neglect and Bobby Jo Green, 40, was also booked into the Cochise County Jail on three counts of child neglect, authorities said. Bond was set at $100,000 for each of them.