MANCHESTER, NH – Two children – an infant and a 1-year-old – were found unattended by city workers inside a Lake Avenue apartment Wednesday, allegedly left alone by their mother and the father of her baby for at least an hour.
According to a police narrative on May 29, 2024, around 10:45 a.m., Manchester Police responded to 345 Lake Avenue for a report of two children left unattended in an apartment.
The callers, Manchester Planning and Community Development employees who were doing a walkthrough of the property, found a 5-month-old baby strapped in an infant swinging bed and a 1-year old on the kitchen floor. Both children were unclothed and had visible bruises and marks on their bodies. The children were taken to a local hospital for observation.
Officers noted that the apartment was in disarray with clothing piled up and various household items and tools mixed in, posing a potential risk of injury to the children. There were also numerous household liquids on the floor, including cooking oils and cleaning agents, and a heat lamp was turned on with a cord hanging to the side.
The tenants, Megan Bancroft, 18, and Justice Forsythe, 21, arrived shortly after police. Bancroft is the mother of both children, and Forsythe is the father of the baby. Police determined that the children had been left alone for more than an hour. Also, the infant’s injuries were found to be serious, and the child was sent to a Boston Hospital for treatment.
Based upon the findings on scene along with additional information gathered during the initial investigation, Bancroft and Forsythe were arrested and charged with second-degree assault and endangering the welfare of a child. Bancroft was also charged with possession of a prescription drug.