EUNICE, LA - Authorities with the St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Office said that a woman has been arrested after falsely reporting a kidnapping of her son, leaving him unattended along a major highway and allowed him to run off in the night following a tantrum.
According to ABC News, the incident began on November 5th, when deputies from the sheriff's office responded to a report of a child who had allegedly been kidnapped at approximately 1:00 a.m. near the area of U.S. 190 and Industrial Road. Authorities said, "The mother, Artasia Quantaya Viges, reported that individuals in an older model truck had kidnapped her son as she was parked on the roadway attending to a deflated tire."
However, almost immediately after arriving on scene, deputies learned that the boy was found by citizens on the area who discovered him unattended in the parking lot of Heinen Medical Clinic with abrasion injuries to his knees. Authorities said, "The child stated to officers that his mother 'ran him over' and left him on the side of the road."
The statement added, "The child was transported to the nearby hospital for treatment. With this vast disparity in statements, the St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Office Juvenile Detectives were called in to investigate."
Police said, "A subsequent interview with Viges revealed the awful truth; there was no kidnapping and a young child was left unattended along a major roadway and allowed to run off in the night. What started as a disagreement between a mother and a child became a bizarre reaction to the child having a tantrum."
Police said that when Viges pulled the car over, the child, "obviously not property restrained," bailed out of the car before it came to a stop, resulting in injuries to the child's knees. Police added, "The mother chose to leave the child out of the car, allowing him to run off in the dark, along major roadways. The mother admitted to detectives that she did not attempt to go after him and ultimately lost sight of him."
According to FOX 5, investigators believe the mother had a "bizarre reaction" to the child having a tantrum. The mother has been arrested and the investigation remains ongoing. The Miami-Herald reported that authorities said the mother's "grievous actions" led to her being arrested and charged with felony cruelty to a juvenile, misdemeanor child desertion, and felony false swearing for the purpose of violating public health or safety."
According to ABC News, the incident began on November 5th, when deputies from the sheriff's office responded to a report of a child who had allegedly been kidnapped at approximately 1:00 a.m. near the area of U.S. 190 and Industrial Road. Authorities said, "The mother, Artasia Quantaya Viges, reported that individuals in an older model truck had kidnapped her son as she was parked on the roadway attending to a deflated tire."
However, almost immediately after arriving on scene, deputies learned that the boy was found by citizens on the area who discovered him unattended in the parking lot of Heinen Medical Clinic with abrasion injuries to his knees. Authorities said, "The child stated to officers that his mother 'ran him over' and left him on the side of the road."
The statement added, "The child was transported to the nearby hospital for treatment. With this vast disparity in statements, the St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Office Juvenile Detectives were called in to investigate."
Police said, "A subsequent interview with Viges revealed the awful truth; there was no kidnapping and a young child was left unattended along a major roadway and allowed to run off in the night. What started as a disagreement between a mother and a child became a bizarre reaction to the child having a tantrum."
Police said that when Viges pulled the car over, the child, "obviously not property restrained," bailed out of the car before it came to a stop, resulting in injuries to the child's knees. Police added, "The mother chose to leave the child out of the car, allowing him to run off in the dark, along major roadways. The mother admitted to detectives that she did not attempt to go after him and ultimately lost sight of him."
According to FOX 5, investigators believe the mother had a "bizarre reaction" to the child having a tantrum. The mother has been arrested and the investigation remains ongoing. The Miami-Herald reported that authorities said the mother's "grievous actions" led to her being arrested and charged with felony cruelty to a juvenile, misdemeanor child desertion, and felony false swearing for the purpose of violating public health or safety."
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