A Louisiana mother was arrested for failing to take her child to a post-operative appointment after he underwent brain surgery.
The Shreveport Police Department said officers received a report of a welfare concern involving a young child on Monday, March 9, KSLA reported.
The report was originally written by a caseworker with the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) who was contacted by multiple medical agencies regarding a potential child neglect case involving a 6-year-old boy.
The DCFS report said the child underwent brain surgery in October 2025 after being diagnosed with a craniopharyngioma, also known as a brain mass.
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The child developed complications following surgery, including hypopituitarism, postoperative diabetes insipidus, and secondary adrenal insufficiency. Because of these problems, the mother was instructed to seek ongoing follow-up medical care for her child.
Hospital staff reported that the child missed about seven appointments and another six were canceled. Staff added that they were trying to contact the child’s mother, Lassanda Zenonconfirm the reservation.
DCFS received a formal report of medical negligence on January 14. An investigation into the matter was launched, and DCFS obtained custody of the children on February 26.
Detectives attempted to help DCFS locate the children at the Royalton Drive home, but were unsuccessful after multiple attempts.
DCFS returned to the home on March 9 and found Zenon, 39, inside. However, police said she reportedly refused to open the door and would not answer her phone.
Although DCFS still had custody of the children at the time, law enforcement did not have a legal order to enter the home and could not speak with Zenon.
The judge then issued an order on Tuesday, March 10, allowing law enforcement to enter the residence. Around 5:30 p.m., police saw Zenon walking out of the house and tried to talk to her. However, she returned home and reportedly refused to open the door for responding police officers.
The police did not give up and were stationed around the house. Eventually, they saw Zenon and her children trying to climb a six-foot-tall wooden fence from behind the house. Police caught Zenon after a brief pursuit and arrested her.
The police department said all three children are safely in DCFS custody. The children were aged 14, 11 and 6 years old.
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The children were crying, sweating and visibly shaking when their mother was arrested, police added. The children also suffered minor scrapes and cuts on their hands and feet, which they sustained while trying to climb the fence.
Once police reached the children, they made sure the 6-year-old got the medical care he had missed.
It was unclear whether Zenon had entered a plea or retained legal representation. There was no immediate response from the Shreveport Police Department. us weeklyRequest for comment.