Maintenance workers discovered the 10-month-old girl restrained in a stroller without access to food or water, police said.
PHOENIX — A 19-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of felony child abuse after maintenance workers found a 10-month-old girl alone inside a north Phoenix apartment where the temperature had reached 91 degrees, according to police and court documents.
Andre Farris Jr. was taken into custody Wednesday after the child was brought to a hospital as a precaution. Police said the girl was found in a stroller without access to food or water. Authorities had not reported that she suffered serious injuries.
Maintenance workers entered the apartment near Seventh Street and Bell Road and found the child with no adult present, according to court documents cited by Arizona’s Family. The workers contacted police after they were unable to locate Farris.
Officers said they remained at the apartment for about two hours, but Farris did not return during that period. Investigators had not determined how long the girl had been alone before maintenance employees discovered her.
The child was taken to a hospital for an examination because of the heat and the circumstances in which she was found. Farris later arrived at the hospital, where officers arrested him, police said.
Farris was booked into the Maricopa County jail on a felony child abuse allegation. A judge set his bond at $25,000. Court records available in the initial reports did not provide details about his plea, an attorney representing him or the date of his next hearing.
Authorities did not publicly explain why the apartment was so hot or whether its cooling system was operating. They also did not release the child’s medical condition beyond saying she was transported to the hospital as a precaution.
The precise relationship between Farris and the girl was not identified in the available court account. Officials also had not disclosed where the child was placed after leaving the hospital or whether the Arizona Department of Child Safety was involved.
The case remained pending in Maricopa County as investigators worked to establish how long the girl had been unattended. The felony charge is an allegation, and Farris is presumed innocent unless convicted in court.
Author note: Last updated July 31, 2026.