Mother charged for allegedly locking children in closet

ST. LOUIS, Feb. 24 (UPI) -- A Missouri mother faces criminal charges for allegedly leaving her two malnourished young children locked in a closet for six hours last week, police said.

Monique Winston, 27, of St. Louis, has been charged with two counts of kidnapping, four counts of abuse/neglect of a child, and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, KSDK-TV, St. Louis, reported Monday.

Police said they responded to a call stating children had been screaming inside the apartment for several hours Wednesday. When officers arrived no one answered the door so the broke in, only to find two children, ages 3 and 5, locked inside closets. The children allegedly were underfed and had contracted ringworm, KTVI-TV, St. Louis reported.