Camper suspect deemed incompetent

Published 10:06 pm Thursday, December 5, 2013

A man indicted in a case in which children were found locked in a dirty camper has been deemed incompetent to stand trial.

Neal

Neal

Laron Huston Neal, 22, was indicted in the case that shocked the area. Police say they found a 2-year-old girl and 6-month-old boy locked in the camper in the backyard of a house in the 300 block of North Division Street on June 18. Police were at the home to serve a search warrant on an unrelated matter and heard crying, they said.

Police said the children were alone with the windows closed, no running water and no air conditioning. They said the children had soiled diapers, the trailer had fleas and rotten floorboards and the bedding was covered in urine and feces.

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Also indicted in the case was the children’s mother, Jeronda Rena Wilson, who police said was at the store buying beer when they found the children. She has pleaded not guilty and is set for trial on Dec. 26.

Neal, her brother-in-law, is set for a review on Dec. 27. Prosecutor Marie Walls said the review will determine whether Neal will be treated at Western Tidewater Regional Jail or sent to a hospital for treatment in an attempt to restore his competency to stand trial.