Joplin woman charged with DWI, four counts of endangering the welfare of a child

The Jasper County Prosecuting Attorney charged a Joplin woman Monday with driving while intoxicated and four felony counts of endangering the welfare of a child.

An arrest warrant was issued for Alyssa Marie Crouch (DOB 2000) with bond set at $50,000 surety and $4,000 cash.

From the probable cause statement:

On 05/17/2026, I, Sgt. Adams, responded as backup to a traffic stop conducted by Ptl. Criqui. Ptl.
Criqui had stopped Alyssa Crouch, who was identified as a suspect in a disturbance that had just
occurred and was suspected of being intoxicated. During the investigation, probable cause was
established for Driving While Intoxicated.

During the investigation, Crouch advised officers that her four children were alone at her residence in
Joplin with no adult supervision. The children ranged in age from 3 years old to 3 months old.

Crouch stated the back door to the residence was unlocked. Joplin Police Department Officer McGough #1134 responded to the residence and located all four children alone inside. J4 was crying when officers arrived. The children were subsequently taken into protective custody by Jasper County DFS.

Crouch further advised that the 1-year-old and 3-month-old children were currently being treated for
upper respiratory infections. During a probable cause search of Crouch's vehicle, officers located
breathing treatment supplies consistent with the ongoing medical treatment of the children.

Crouch knowingly left four young children unattended, including two infants with active medical
conditions requiring treatment, while she drove to Carthage in an intoxicated condition, where she
was ultimately arrested for DWI. 

Due to the ages of the children, none were capable of adequately caring for themselves or the younger siblings. During a consent search of Crouch’s phone, I located text messages in which Crouch told a state children’s services worker that she wanted to relinquish her parental rights.

Leaving children of this age unattended, particularly while two were suffering from respiratory illnesses requiring treatment, created a substantial risk of serious physical injury or death. Crouch knowingly created an inherently dangerous situation by leaving the children without adult supervision while she operated a motor vehicle in an intoxicated condition.