A mother in Louisiana has been arrested after she failed to bring her child to post-op appointments after he underwent brain surgery.
The Shreveport Police Department said that officers received a tip about a welfare concern involving a young child on Monday, March 9, according to KSLA.
The report was initially made by a Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) caseworker, who was contacted by several medical facilities about a potential case of child neglect that involved a 6-year-old boy.
The DCFS report stated that the child had brain surgery in October 2025 after he was diagnosed with craniopharyngioma, which is also known as a brain mass.
The child experienced complications after the surgery, including hypopituitarism, post-op diabetes insipidus and secondary adrenal insufficiency. Due to the issues, the mother was instructed to seek consistent follow-up medical care for the child.
Hospital staff reported that the child missed about seven appointments, while six others were canceled. Staff added that they attempted to contact the child’s mother, LaShonda Zenon, to confirm appointments.
DCFS got a formal report about medical neglect on January 14. An investigation was launched into the matter, and DCFS obtained an order for custody of the child on February 26.
Detectives tried to help DCFS find the child at the home on Royalton Drive, though they were unsuccessful after several attempts.
DCFS returned to the home on March 9 and they found Zenon, 39, inside. However, police said she reportedly refused to answer the door and wouldn’t answer the phone.
While DCFS still had custodial authority over the child at the time, law enforcement did not have a legal order to enter the home and were unable to speak to Zenon.
A judge then issued an order on Tuesday, March 10, that allowed law enforcement to enter the residence. Officers saw Zenon walk out of the house around 5:30 p.m. and they attempted to speak with her. However, she went back inside the home and reportedly refused to answer the door for the responding officers.
The officers didn’t give up and they positioned themselves around the house. They eventually saw Zenon try to get away through the back of the house with her kids as they climbed over a six-foot wooden fence. Police were then able to catch Zenon after a brief chase and she was arrested.
The police department said that all three of the children were safely taken into DCFS custody. The kids range from the ages of 14, 11 and 6.
Officers added that the kids were crying, sweaty and visibly shaken at the time their mother was arrested. The kids also had minor scrapes and cuts on their hands and feet that they sustained while trying to climb the fence.
Once police were able to get to the kids, they ensured that the 6-year-old received the medical care he had previously missed.
It is not currently clear if Zenon has entered a plea or retained legal representation. The Shreveport Police Department did not immediately respond to Us Weekly’s request for comment.
