A Joshua Tree woman who has been a fugitive for more than nine years was arrested Thursday. Helen Mangum 42, was arrested in June, 2011 for child neglect. About a week later, Mangum pleaded guilty in a morning session at the Joshua Tree court to living in the house with a then-11-month-old baby without working utilities and with rotten food. However, Mangum never returned after lunch for her sentence and has been a fugitive for more than nine years. Thursday, a deputy made a traffic stop about 11 p.m. near Aberdeen and Warren Vista. During a records check, the deputy learned about Mangum’s fugitive status. Helen Mangum was arrested on a $500,000 warrant and booked into the Morongo Basin Jail. She was scheduled to receive her sentence Friday afternoon, but the outcome is unknown.
