A 37-year-old Iowa mother, Heather Ann Perez Miranda, is accused of several crimes, including abandoning her two young children, one of whom has special medical needs, on the side of a busy street.
The children, ages 6 and 8, told police that Perez Miranda, while driving them, told them to get out of the truck, saying that no one loved them... Continue reading here ▶
The location where they were left was near a busy road and an interstate highway, about eight miles from their home.
The older child has a significant mouth/jaw deformity and a tracheostomy, making her unable to care for herself. While the two children are not Perez Miranda’s biological children, she has four other children with their father. These four children were reportedly in the car when Perez Miranda abandoned the two younger children.
The incident occurred on June 30, 2024, in Hiawatha, Iowa. Police were called after the two children were found alone by the roadside.
The children’s father told police that he and Perez Miranda had argued earlier that day. He said she had punched him, so he left and went to a hotel, leaving her with all six children.
Perez Miranda initially told police she had dropped the two children off with their father at a campsite, but police say that surveillance video and witnesses contradict her story. She was arrested in September 2024 and charged with child endangerment and neglect.
Before this arrest, Perez Miranda had also accused her husband of shooting her. She reported to police on August 28, 2024, that he had shot her in a camper. However, investigators determined that her story didn’t match the actual path of the bullet wound.
They also confirmed through surveillance video that her husband was with their other children at a different location when she was shot. She was then charged with false reporting. Police have not said who they believe shot Perez Miranda, but they have said they are not looking for any other suspects. Perez Miranda is now facing charges of neglect, child endangerment, domestic abuse, and false reporting.