Center Grove police to seek charges against mother in Amber Alert case
GREENWOOD, Ind (WISH) — The Center Grove Police Department announced plans to seek charges against a mom at the center of an Amber Alert issued on Tuesday. The department, along with Greenwood Police conducting an investigation, said they found sufficient evidence indicating that 27-year old Morgan Negri intentionally interfered with child custody.
However, Johnson County Prosecutor Brad Cooper said at this time, he hasn’t been presented with enough information to file charges.
WISH TV spoke with Negri. She says she was not aware of a court order issued that same day, that revoked her parental rights. She lost custody of both her 7-year-old and 1-month-old daughters.
According to online court documents, Morgan failed a drug test and failed to appear in court. The court found her to be detrimental to her children. But Negri has an attorney and she plans to fight what she calls hurtful allegations.
Negri says it all started when she and her ex-husband started fighting over parental issues. Their daughter, 7-year-old Izzie, had missed several days of school last year. Negri says her ex-husband got the Department of Child Services involved.
“She got strep over and over and over. We couldn’t get rid of it. She missed a whole bunch of days and we had been getting doctor’s notes like we were supposed to,” Negri said. “She ended up having to get her tonsils and her adenoids removed because they couldn’t get rid of the virus.”
After doctors removed her tonsils, Negri says her daughter has been healthy and only missed one day of school this semester. Next, Morgan says her ex-husband went to authorities accusing her of drug abuse. According to court documents, she failed a court ordered drug test.
“They painted that I had failed. But, it wasn’t a failure. It was presence of, and they didn’t check to see if I was allowed to have that. I was,” she explained.
Negri says she takes one prescription narcotic after undergoing two surgeries and a c-section a month ago.
“I didn’t maintain a high or anything. I just took my meds everyday like I was supposed to. I was functional and fine and keeping my pain under control so that I could be a person,” she said.
Finally, the court alleges that Morgan failed to appear on Tuesday. She immediately lost custody of her children. Morgan says she was unaware of the court date.
“The order that I got for the drug testing and for everything else came either in the mail or by phone call. But, I never heard anything or got, recieved anything to notify me of the appointment,” she said.
On Tuesday, Negri picked up her daughter early from North Grove Elementary School in Center Grove. She took her to the dentist. While there, she received notification of the Amber Alert and immediately called police. Her daughter was taken away by police without incident.
As for the child’s father. WISH-TV made several attempts to contact him. We have not heard back.