A mother who recently moved to Florida is facing charges after allegedly leaving her preteen son at a bus stop knowing he intended to walk for 20 days to go back to Missouri to live with his grandmother.
On May 15, a 32-year-old woman and her two children, ages 12 and 2, were at a bus stop in Hialeah. They recently relocated from Columbia, Missouri, and the 12-year-old was reportedly unhappy about the move. He started arguing with his mom and told her he wanted to go back to Columbia. He let her know he calculated the travel time by foot and said he would stay with his grandmother when he got there after the 20-day trek.
It was reported that the boy walked away from his mother, who began calling his name, but when he did not answer she didn’t chase after him or try to stop him from leaving.
Around 9:00 PM, he called his grandmother to let her know his plans. She told him to go back and find his mom, but when he got there his mother had already left. His cell phone was low on power, so he charged it in a nearby fast-food restaurant while his grandma called the authorities.
When the police talked to the boy, he told them he wasn’t sure where his new home was. He also reportedly told them he has a 2-year-old brother and neither of them had bathed in a week.
The authorities located the woman, and she was taken into custody and booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. She is facing preliminary charges of two counts of child neglect with no bodily harm. According to records, she was jailed in lieu of a $2,000 bond.
After their mother was arrested, the kids were tended to by victim advocates.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a domestic violence offense, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.