An Arkansas mother was jailed on Wednesday when she sent her 7-year-old son to walk nearly eight miles to school alone after he missed the bus.
Amber Thompson, 33, told Craighead County deputies that it wasn’t her problem if the boy had to walk to school because he was old enough to get himself up and get ready to go, Jonesboro Right Now reported.
The boy walked up to a farm shop about a half mile from his home Tuesday morning, telling the shop owner he had missed the bus and would get in trouble at home if he missed school. He was still seven miles from Valley View School, where he attended.
The shop owner called deputies, and the boy told them he’d gotten in trouble the night before and had to go to bed without supper. He also told the deputies that Thompson told him to set an alarm and get himself up because “she wasn’t going to.” He said he missed the bus in the dark and that he had skipped breakfast. The deputy gave him a beef jerky.
The deputy took the boy back to his home but couldn’t get an swer from Thompson and entered the locked door. Two deputies entered the unlocked front door and found the 7-year-old’s two younger brothers, 2 and 3, and Thompson asleep.
Arkansas Department of Human Services employees came to the home, and found bruises on the 3-year-old’s face, arms, back, and buttocks. Thompson’s husband said he swatted the boy on Sunday for lying but said the bruises likely came from the older brother, according to WLBT. He was not arrested.
Thompson was charged with domestic battery of a person less than 12 and endangering the welfare of a minor and released on a $50,000 bond. She is due in court again on May 24.
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[Featured image: Amber Thompson/Craighead County Sheriff’s Office]
