VALPARAISO — A Hebron couple was arrested on felony neglect charges for allowing three of their children to rack up a large number of absences and tardy days from elementary school, court records show.
Kevin Carrico, 36, and Crysta Carrico, 37, face charges of neglect of a dependent — educational neglect.
St. John Police CIT Officer Dustin Wartman is trained in mental health intervention.
A case manager with the Porter County Juvenile Probation Department said a fourth-grade student at Boone Grove Elementary School in the couple's care had 40 unexcused absences and five tardy days during the 2020-21 school year.
The same child had 59 absences and 16 tardy days during the 2021-22 school year, the charges say.
A first-grade student at Porter Lakes Elementary had 56 unexcused absences and 14 tardy days during the 2021-22 year, charging documents say, and 33 absences and 13 tardy days for the current school year.
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Lastly, a third child, who is a fourth-grade student at Boone Grove Elementary, had 48 unexcused absences and 11 tardy days during the 2021-22 school year, and 32 absences and eight tardy days in this school year, records show.
The cases stem from a referral from Project ATTEND, which is an initiative by the Porter County Juvenile Probation Department and Porter County schools aimed at resolving truancy issues among elementary school students.Â
Kevin Carrico's case is pending with Porter Superior Court Judge Mike Fish;Â Crysta Carrico's case is being handled by Porter Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Clymer.
