Diaper-clad toddler with knife found alone in neighborhood

A Jefferson City woman faces charges after her toddler was found wandering the neighborhood clad only in a diaper and carrying a knife.

Laura Pultman, 24, of 1434 Sunset Lake Road, is charged with child endangerment for failing to supervise a child under the age of 2. She also faces charged of possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

All three charges are misdemeanors.

According to a Jefferson City Police Department probable cause statement, Pultman was contacted Wednesday after her 1-year-old child was found. The child reportedly was last seen an hour before she noticed he was missing. Authorities said a similar incident occurred about two weeks earlier and was not reported to police.

Pultman consented to a walk-through of her boyfriend's upstairs apartment and while checking the residence, officers saw marijuana and narcotics paraphernalia around the apartment. These were within reach of the child.

According to authorities, despite the involvement of the Missouri Children's Division, Pultman has not taken steps to keep her child from getting out of their residence.