A Georgia mom was recently arrested after her 10-year-old son took an unsupervised walk near her rural home — and now she's speaking out about the infuriating situation.
Per an NBC News report, Brittany Patterson was arrested and accused of child endangerment after her 10-year-old son was picked up by sheriff's deputies while walking unsupervised less than a mile away from home.
Patterson told NBC News that she took her younger son to a doctor's appointment on Oct. 30, leaving her 10-year-old son at home. While home alone, the boy decided to walk into town from their rural Mineral Bluff home. Sheriff's deputies stopped the boy less than a mile away from his home, calling Patterson to inform her of her son's impromptu walk.
Patterson tells NBC News she was mildly annoyed but "not at all worried" when the Fannin County Sheriff's Department called her about her son's walk — especially since Mineral Bluff has a population of about 370 people.
"It's not a super dangerous or even dangerous-at-all stretch of road," Patterson told NBC News. "I wasn't terrified for him or scared for his safety."
Police drove Patterson's son home and left without incident. But then, the sheriff's department officers returned to the family's home hours later, arresting and booking Patterson on alleged reckless conduct charges. The shocked mother was forced to post $500 bail.
"It was anger and frustration, of course, because my children were having to witness that all," Patterson told NBC News. "They asked me to put my hands behind my back and all that stuff, and I realized what was going on."
The mom's arrest has sparked conversation online about walking as a means of transportation, particularly for youth. Many online commenters have differing opinions on what is an appropriate age to go for a walk alone. USA Today reports that there's no law in Georgia detailing the appropriate age for a child to go somewhere on their own or be left home alone. State child supervision guidelines suggest that "children 8 years or younger should not be left alone," while children 9 to 12 may be left alone for less than two hours at a time.
In general, walking to nearby locations is a great way to minimize the amount of transportation-based pollution you contribute to the environment. In 2022, the transportation sector was the largest contributor to planet-warming pollution in the U.S., per the EPA. Walking or even walking to public transportation helps curb that massive impact.
🗣️ Do you think kids spend too much time in front of screens?
🔘 Yes — it's rotting their brains 🧠
🔘 No — screens are the future 💻
🔘 There should be a good balance ⚖️
🔘 No idea — I don't have kids 🤷
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
But America Walks says walking needs to be safer and more convenient to support a foot-traffic-friendly nation, especially in busy cities. If cities improve walkable infrastructure, experts estimate that metro areas could reduce their transport-related fuel consumption by 25% or more.
As for Patterson, the mom's lawyer told NBC News that authorities offered to drop the charge if the mom signed a safety plan for her son, including monitoring him with a GPS tracker. But Patterson says she refuses to sign the form, instead opting to contest the charge, which carries up to one year behind bars and a $1,000 fine.
"This is not right. I did nothing wrong," she told NBC News. "I'm going to fight for that."
Both the district attorney's office and sheriff's department have not commented on the active case.
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
