A couple booked into the Duval County Jail on Wednesday night following a multi-jurisdictional investigation into allegations that four children had been living in the cab of a commercial semitruck for nearly five years, according to court and law enforcement documents.
Keisha Monique Epps, 51, of Georgia, was arrested on four counts of child neglect. Her co-defendant, 37-year-old Tamra Stewart, also of Georgia, faces charges of capital sexual battery.
Bond for Epps was set at $100,003 per child neglect count, totaling $400,012. Court records show that her bond conditions mandate a GPS ankle monitor, a complete prohibition on alcohol, drugs, and firearms, and a strict no-contact order covering minors, the alleged victims, witnesses, and her co-defendant.
According to the arrest report, Epps worked as a long-haul driver on a route operating between Atlanta and Miami. Investigators determined the four children had been living inside the cab of her truck since December 2019.
The report details that the children were required to share a single bunk, sleeping side-by-side curled up because space did not allow them to lie flat. Detectives noted the children were seldom allowed outside the cab, including for basic restroom access, and received inadequate food and physical activity.
When a Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office detective first encountered the children, the report noted they walked with an unnatural gait, which investigators attributed to prolonged confinement inside the vehicle.
The investigation found no record of formal education for the children since November 2020. Instead, they were instructed to use a mobile app.
Investigators also documented a lack of routine medical or dental care. In one instance detailed in the report, one child suffered severe burns from cooked noodles and received no professional medical treatment, resulting in permanent scarring.
Court documents state Stewart is accused of sexually abusing the children inside the vehicle while Epps was driving, sleeping, or showering. The report indicates the children told officers they informed Epps about the incidents, but she dismissed their claims and continued leaving them unsupervised with Stewart.
Stewart is also accused of striking the children in the head on multiple occasions, while Epps allegedly subjected them to verbal abuse.
Both Epps and Stewart remain in custody at the Duval County Jail as judicial proceedings begin.
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