Kingsport, TN — Four children, including three younger than 8, were allegedly left alone inside an “unsanitary and unsafe” home for an entire weekend before their mother returned Sunday, according to the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies responded to a home in the 500 block of Bancroft Chapel Road at around 9 a.m. Sunday after concerns brought them to the property. When officers arrived, they found all four children alone.
According to authorities, the children told deputies they had been by themselves since Friday and had not heard from their mother, identified as Thea Chyanne Sorrell, 33, during that time.
The sheriff’s office said deputies also observed conditions inside the residence that they described as unsafe and unsanitary.
Dog allegedly found without enough food or water
The concerns inside the home reportedly extended beyond the children. Deputies said they found a dog at the property that did not have adequate access to food or water. Officials from the Department of Children’s Services and Sullivan County Animal Control were called to assist with the situation.
The sheriff’s office said the children were ultimately found without their mother present, while authorities worked with child welfare officials to address their immediate needs.
Sorrell now faces three counts of child abuse or neglect of a child under 8, along with misdemeanor charges of animal cruelty and child endangerment. The allegations against her stem from the circumstances in which the children were discovered, according to authorities.
Mother allegedly returns in pickup later that day
Later Sunday, a pickup truck arrived back at the Bancroft Chapel Road home with Sorrell inside as a passenger. Deputies arrested her after she returned to the property, according to the sheriff’s office.
The driver was identified as Matthew Brown, 37, of Elizabethton, a community roughly 30 miles from the Kingsport home. What deputies allegedly discovered in and around the pickup led to a separate set of drug and weapons charges against Brown.
Police say truck contained four loaded handguns
According to authorities, Brown allegedly had what deputies believed was methamphetamine in his pocket when they encountered him.
Inside the pickup, officers said they found heroin, several baggies of methamphetamine and four loaded handguns. One of the firearms was reportedly stolen, according to the sheriff’s office.
Investigators also allegedly found a bag containing nearly 20 prescription pills, 18.5 grams of marijuana, mushrooms and $5,000 in cash.
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The items found in the vehicle reportedly did not stop there. Deputies said they also recovered brass knuckles and an ax. Brown now faces multiple drug- and weapons-related charges in connection with the investigation.
Both suspects remain jailed
Sorrell and Brown remained in the Sullivan County Jail as of Tuesday, according to authorities. Sorrell’s bond was set at $50,000, while Brown’s bond was set at $100,000.
Both were scheduled to appear in court Thursday.
The case remains based on allegations, and the charges against Sorrell and Brown are subject to the court process. Authorities have not indicated in the information provided what led to the children being left alone or why Sorrell allegedly did not contact them before deputies arrived.
The investigation has brought together law enforcement, child welfare officials and animal control following the discovery of the children and the conditions inside the home.
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