Highlights
- Amy Shellhammer, 32, was booked on child abuse and court-order violation charges and is held on a $35,000 bond.
- A neighbor called 911 on July 29 after Shellhammer texted that she was leaving her toddler alone in a garage with no air conditioning.
- Medical testing on Aug. 1 found the boy had fentanyl, methamphetamine, and THC in his system after DCS took custody.
- Shellhammer told DCS investigators she smokes fentanyl, meth, and marijuana more than 10 times a day inside her home with her child present.
A Mesa mother is facing child abuse charges after her 2-year-old son was found unresponsive in an unventilated garage on July 29, and subsequent medical testing revealed fentanyl, methamphetamine, and THC in the boy's system, according to court documents reviewed by Arizona's Family.
Amy Shellhammer, 32, texted a neighbor before leaving her home near Lindsay and Broadway roads in Mesa: "I'm leaving [child] is in the garage. I'm sicker than [expletive]....he's asleep." The neighbor, alarmed that the garage had no air conditioning and was extremely hot, went to the home and found the toddler asleep but could not rouse him. Court documents state it took the neighbor 20 to 30 minutes to wake the boy after removing him from the garage.
The Arizona Department of Child Safety took custody of the toddler on Aug. 1. During a medical visit, officials discovered the boy had fentanyl, methamphetamine and THC in his system, court documents state. In a subsequent interview with DCS officials, Shellhammer reportedly admitted that she smokes fentanyl, meth and marijuana over 10 times a day inside her home with her child nearby.
Police said Shellhammer has a history of child abuse charges. An order of protection signed in August 2025 requires her to stay 100 yards away from the boy, a condition she is accused of violating. She was booked on one count of child abuse and one count of failing to comply with a court order, and is being held on a $35,000 bond.
The case is active; no arraignment date was listed in the court documents reported by Arizona's Family.
Sources
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- AZ Family (3TV/CBS5) retrieved 18/08/2026 18:55
Authored by The Scottsdale Signal. Drafted by AI from primary-source material under our beat-specific editorial guides; reviewed by humans before publish under our five-gate process. Sources retrieved at 18/08/2026 18:55. Every claim traces to a source.
