Mom Arrested After Her 10-year-old Walking to the Store

A Georgia mother of three facing jail time after her 10-year-old son was walking to the store. Her story was divided between parents calling her a “bad mom” while others didn’t have a problem with it and defended the mom and did not see the problem since the child is 10 years old which is the right age for a child to be independent.

Here is what happened….

On October 30, 41-year-old Brittnay Patterson was taking her oldest child to the doctors' office for their appointment. Patterson asked her 10-year-old son if he was coming along but he refused and decided to stay home. When he declined, Patterson drove off leaving the 10-year-old home alone. The family lives on 16 acres in Mineral Bluff, Georgia and Patterson told USA Today that it is not uncommon for families in the area to allow their pets and children to explore the properties. She said that she usually gives her children the option of coming with her on errands or staying home, and thought nothing of leaving her son home alone with his grandfather that day.

Her son, who has since turned 11, walked to the Dollar General about a mile away from their home when a bystander noticed him and called the police. When he was returned by deputies Patterson thought that was the end of the ordeal. Despite her arrest, there is no law in Georgia dictating how old a child needs to be to be left home alone or to walk somewhere alone. However, the state's child welfare agency has guidelines that say a child nine or older can be left home alone for a couple of hours and children 13 or older may be left to watch over younger siblings. Documents from the sheriff's office obtained by USA Today allege that the charges are due to Patterson not knowing where her son was and not reporting him missing. Patterson told the outlet that there's a difference between her not knowing exactly where her child is at all times and him being missing. After all, her son returned home safe.

The police arrived at Patterson’s residence after she received a phone call from the police informing her son was walking from the store. The police encounter with Patterson and the confrontation was documented on the police’s body cam. Patterson was handcuffed and charged her for child endangerment. Patterson will be later be released. After she was released, the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services (DCFS ) presented her with what it called a “Safety Plan.” The plan, which USA TODAY reviewed, includes downloading GPS tracking to Soren’s cellphone and designating a “safety person” to be a guardian to the children if she leaves, among other provisions. Patterson said she refused to sign it. Since her arrest made public, people thought she was a bad mother and she was while others find her arrest "absurd and ridiculous" and defended the mother of three. Even Emmy Winning talk show host Sherri Shepperd defended the mother on her show.

Brittnay shared her arrest experience with FoxNews, Inside Edition, USA Today, and other media outlets to let everyone know that she had done nothing wrong. Her lawyer David DeLugas, who is also the executive director of the nonprofit Parents USA, says she did nothing wrong, and that her son was perfectly safe that day.

Honestly, I don’t see anything wrong with it. The boy is nearly 11 and is capable walk on his own. If kids are capable walk home on their own then he is capable of going to the store independently as long he has his cell phone unfortunately my soon-to-be 10-year-old isn't that independent To take care of himself obviously, I have an autistic son. So all the parents were dissing her and saying she is a “bad mom”, I understand that people are saying she is a bad mother and deserved to be locked up because he is A 10-year-old kid but here’s the thing kids are gonna grow up and they’re gonna learn to be independent that little boy is only soon to be 11 so sooner or later he’s gonna grow up to be a teenager and he has to depend on himself not just his mom and dad. Also I have been left home alone before when I was 10 so I don’t see what the big deal is.

Sources from YouTube, Inside Edition, USA Today, The Mirror US