A Louisiana mother was arrested after Shreveport police said her 6-year-old son missed 13 follow-up appointments after brain surgery, even though the child was dealing with serious post-operative complications that required close medical monitoring. According to police, the child had surgery in October 2025 after being diagnosed with craniopharyngioma, a brain mass, and later needed continued care for hypopituitarism, post-operative diabetes insipidus, and secondary adrenal insufficiency.
Investigators say hospital staff reported that about seven appointments were missed and six more were canceled after the surgery. Police said medical providers and the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services repeatedly tried to reach the child’s mother, LaShonda Zenon, but were unsuccessful.
The missed follow-up care is what turned this into a police case
According to the Shreveport Police Department, DCFS received a formal report of medical neglect on January 14. As the investigation continued, the agency obtained an order for custody of the child on February 26. Detectives then tried several times to make contact at the family’s home, but police said those efforts went nowhere.
Police said DCFS returned to the home on March 9 and saw Zenon inside, but she allegedly refused to answer the door or pick up the phone. The next day, a judge signed an order allowing law enforcement to enter the residence to locate the children. Officers later said they saw Zenon outside near a vehicle before she went back into the house and again refused to answer the door.
What happened next made the situation even more alarming. Police said officers positioned around the house saw Zenon trying to flee out the back with her children by climbing over a six-foot privacy fence into a neighboring yard. She was arrested after what police described as a brief foot pursuit. Officers said the children were crying, sweating, and visibly shaken, with minor cuts and scrapes from climbing the fence. Authorities also said the 6-year-old is now receiving the medical care he had previously missed.
Her explanation only made the allegations harder to ignore
After her arrest, police said Zenon told officers she had gotten a call from an unknown person and had a feeling police were nearby, which is why she tried to leave through the backyard. Police also said she admitted she had not taken the child to his follow-up appointments because she had been busy and did not have time. KSLA reported that Shreveport police spokesperson Chris Bordelon said that was “not an acceptable answer” when a child needed urgent medical care.
One important detail in the case is that the charges announced after her arrest were tied to the attempted flight and what officers said they found in the home. Police said Zenon was booked on charges including possession of Schedule I narcotics, resisting an officer with flight, obstruction of court orders, and three counts of controlled dangerous substances in the presence of juveniles. All three children were placed in DCFS custody.
What makes the case especially difficult to read past is that this was not routine missed care. Police say the child was recovering from brain surgery and dealing with multiple serious complications, which meant every missed appointment carried more weight. By the time authorities stepped in, the case had turned into a much bigger question about how long a medically fragile child had been going without the care he needed.
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