Mother Who Left Sons in Storage Unit Indicted

A Mercer County grand jury has indicted a Trenton woman with endangering the welfare of her two sons by leaving them in a self-storage locker.

Sheena Johnson, 27, was charged with two counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child.  The indictment alleges that Johnson left her sons, ages five and 10, unattended and left to care for themselves in an unlit and sealed 5’ by 10’ storage locker that did not have running water, heat or plumbing. The children were discovered after Johnson was arrested in Trenton on April 18, for criminal mischief and violation of a restraining order.

When initially asked by Trenton police if she cared for anyone, Johnson indicated she had two children who were being cared for; however, she could not provide any information as to the caretaker.

Officers questioned her further, and the investigation eventually led them to Extra Space Storage in Ewing Township where the children were found. The door to the unit was jammed closed and had to be forcibly opened. Officers discovered a bucket of urine that had spilled onto the mattress where the children slept.  When questioned, the children described the locker as “cold.”

Additionally, the grand jury returned a second indictment charging Johnson with one count of contempt for violating a final restraining order on April 18, 2013, by being at her ex-boyfriend’s Trenton residence and damaging two of his vehicle’s tires.

Johnson was freed in May after community members joined forces to raise bail money, hoping to give her a chance to start her life anew, according to NJ.com.

Johnson remains free on $50,000 bail.

Johnson's sons, ages 5 and 10, remain in state custody.