A Joshua Tree woman who had been a fugitive for more than nine years was sentenced Tuesday to probation and time served. Helen Mangum, 42, was originally 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 an 11-month-old baby without working utilities and with rotten food. However, Mangum never returned after lunch for her sentence and had been a fugitive for more than nine years. In July, a deputy made a traffic stop in Yucca Valley. During a records check, the deputy learned about Mangum’s fugitive status and she was arrested and was sent back to jail. On Tuesday, Helen Mangum was sentenced to felony probation and 120 days in jail.
