A Lamar County jury has sentenced 30-year-old Felisha Scroggins of Louisiana to 20 years in prison after finding her guilty of injury to a child causing serious bodily injury.
The case originated on January 31, 2024, when Paris Police began investigating reports of a couple living in a broken-down van in the Home Depot parking lot. Community members attempting to assist with repairs discovered what appeared to be a five-year-old girl inside the van. Upon investigation, Child Protective Services determined the girl was 12 years old and weighed only 40 pounds.
Scroggins testified during her trial, claiming she had lived in the van as a missionary for years with her then-three-year-old daughter. Evidence presented during the trial highlighted the deplorable conditions in which the girl had been living. The jury heard testimony about the family’s use of a bucket as a toilet and their evasive behavior when questioned by those attempting to assist them.
Scroggins and a man identified as Raymon Jose Alvarez were arrested in January, 2024, on charges of failure to identify as a witness and endangering a child. Investigators found that Alvarez, who initially identified himself as Ray Maccabee, had refused to cooperate with law enforcement and prevented officers and CPS from speaking to the girl.
Court records revealed that the girl, who did not know her last name, age, or place of birth, exhibited signs of malnutrition and developmental delays.
Scroggins’ life has been marked by instability. Originally from Leesville, Louisiana, she and her daughter were reported missing by her mother in 2017. They were found safe later that year in Richland, South Carolina, but Scroggins had been living in transient conditions ever since.
