Brittany Mugrauer, 24, was charged with two counts of felony child engaderment, after her two young children were found barefoot, living in a shipping crate inside the cave in Kansas City.
The 4 and 6-year-old kids were surrounded by two small blankets, rubbish and thin wires, and also had vehicles in various states of repair with them.
When police found the pair, they noted that the youngest of the children was eating a cup of dry ramen noodles with their hands, while the older child told officers that they did not have any shoes.
Their mother admitted she had left the children alone in the caves for several days, though the cause for this is as yet unknown.
Police only attended the site because they were tipped off about the existence of a potential ‘chop shop’ - an illegal practice where stolen cars are taken to be split up for their more profitable parts, or to repair other stolen vehicles.
No further details have been provided about the state of the children, though officials confirmed they were taken to a local hospital where they were bathed and given clean clothes.