On July 9, 2016, Brick Township Police Department conducted a wellness check on the eight-year-old son of 41-year-old Helecia Morris and 57-year-old Donna Jung due to prior incidents of child endangerment. The officers found the eight-year-old victim locked in his room, which reeked of urine. The victim and two other minors were removed from the residence and taken to Hackensack Meridian Ocean University Medical Center to be examined. The three children were then placed in foster care following medical evaluation.
An investigation concluded that the eight-year-old victim had been locked in his room by Helicia Morris and Donna Jung for four days. The room did not include a bed, furniture, lights, or toys. The two defendants did not allow the victim to use the bathroom or allow him to interact with the rest of the family. January 11, 2016, Helicia Morris and Donna Jung were arrested following the execution of a search warrant.
In April 2015, the victim was unable to sit down at school due to Helicia Morris beating her child with a belt. The victim revealed that he would listen to the rest of his family eat in the kitchen while he would remain alone in his dark room. His testimony further revealed that he would urinate in a heating vent to protect the carpet from being ruined. Assistant Ocean County Prosecutor Mara Brater added that the defendants would lock the refrigerator to ensure the victim never had access to it, despite already being severely underweight and malnourished.
On July 7, 2023, Morris and Jung appeared before the Honorable Lisa A. Puglisi, J.S.C., and were sentenced to 8 years (Morris) and 7 years (Jung) in NJ State Prison for Endangering the Welfare of a Child. Morris was also sentenced to 4 years in relation to an unrelated charge of Theft with an additional eighteen months for an unrelated charge of Shoplifting. These sentences will run consecutively with the charge of endangerment.
