Children, 1 and 4, Found Alone In Downers Grove Hotel Room: Cops

DOWNERS GROVE, IL -- A Naperville man and woman were arrested after their two children, ages 1 and 4, were found alone in a hotel room at the Red Roof Inn in Downers Grove. Police charged Davontae D. Stewart, 26, and Erica D. Stewart, 25, both with Naperville P.O. boxes, with endangering the life of a child in connection with the May 1 incident.

According to a police report, a clerk at the hotel received a phone call from a room that was registered in Davontae Stewart's name. The clerk told police that the person on the phone sounded like a child and asked the clerk to "pick his mommy up from work," police say.

The child then told the clerk that his mom would be done with work at 5 p.m.

The Red Roof Inn employee entered the room to check on the child and found the boy, 4, and another child, 1, sitting unclothed in the hotel room, the police report states. Police say the clerk dressed the children, made them popcorn, and waited for law enforcement to arrive on the scene.

When police got to the hotel room, they say "the room was generally clean, but there were knives in the sink, coins on the floor, and food that a 1-year-old could not eat without the possibility of choking," according to the police report.

Responding officers took the children to the police department and contacted DCFS and Davontae and Erica Stewart.

Davontae and Erica were each charged with two counts of endangering the life of a child and released on bond. Police say DCFS released the children back into the custody of the Stewarts.