A Beech Island mother is facing charges because her 3-year-old was unable to hold his urine in long enough to make it to a bathroom in time, resulting in him peeing in a public parking lot.
When Brooke Johns, who is less than a month away from giving birth to another child, was driving with her toddler he told her that he had to go to the bathroom badly and complained while wriggling around in a state of urgency.
Johns told him she was trying to find a place with a bathroom and pulled into the parking lot of the nearest gas station she could find as her son continued to anxiously express that he was about to wet his pants.
When she noticed that the boy had begun to urinate before they reached the restroom, Johns let him pull down his pants and quickly tried to block him from view so that he could finish in the parking lot without anyone seeing him.
A deputy with the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office spotted the incident and approached Johns and her son.
When he questioned her about the boy urinating in public, Johns reported that she tried to explain to him that she couldn’t think of any other options in the immediacy of the event. Due to her very pregnant state Johns said that she was not to able pick up her toddler and rush him inside because he weighs more than she is permitted to lift until she delivers the new baby.
Seemingly dismissive of the situation, in addition to the age of the child, the deputy did not believe that Johns had a legitimate reason to allow the public urination and she was given a citation for disorderly conduct. The deputy recorded that he “observed the male’s genitals and the urination.”
The charge could land Johns in jail for 60-days in addition to paying a $5000 fine for allowing her son to relieve himself in the parking lot.
Johns has a court appearance scheduled on April 30, a few days before she is due to give birth. Though she said that she could ask for a continuance, Johns said she would prefer to take care of the situation before she has the baby.
In defense of the issued citation, the Sheriff’s Office responded to the incident by explaining that the public urination was a violation of public safety code.
If you or someone you love is suspected of disorderly conduct, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.