US News
Florida couple charged with child neglect after allegedly confining four children in truck cab
Authorities allege the children were kept inside a tractor-trailer cab for years without schooling, proper sanitation, or medical care.
The short version
- Keisha Epps and Tamra Marshon Stewart were arrested and charged with child neglect after allegedly keeping four children confined in a truck cab since 2019.
- Court records indicate the children were denied formal schooling for years, lacked medical care, and suffered physical and alleged sexual abuse.
- Stewart faces upcoming capital sexual battery charges, while both suspects remain in custody awaiting legal proceedings.
Key facts
- The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office arrested Keisha Epps, 51, and Tamra Marshon Stewart, 37, on August 6, 2026, charging each with four counts of felony child neglect.[Fox News]
- Arrest reports state four children were kept inside the cab of a commercial truck for nearly seven years while Epps operated routes between Miami and Atlanta.[Fox News]
- Children reported being out of school for approximately five years and denied basic hygiene, outdoor exercise, and medical treatment for conditions including severe burns and an untreated infection.[Fox News]
- Investigators reported the children showed altered walking gaits due to severe confinement and shared a single bunk that forced them to sleep curled together.[Fox News]
- Court filings indicate the Statewide Prosecutor intends to file capital sexual battery charges against Stewart in Florida's 9th Judicial District.[Fox News]
- Stewart is detained without bond at Duval County Jail, while Epps is held on a $400,012 bond.[Fox News]
What remains uncertain
- Official records redact the ages, sexes, and specific familial relationships of the four children to Epps and Stewart.[Fox News]