A mother in Georgia is currently facing potential jail time after her 10-year-old son was discovered walking alone to town, less than a mile from their family home. The incident led to the arrest of Brittany Patterson, 41, on suspicion of reckless conduct by the Fannin County Sheriff's Office on October 30.
Reports indicate that Patterson had left her son, Soren, who is now 11, unsupervised at their rural Mineral Bluff residence while she took another child to a doctor's appointment. Despite Patterson's assertion that she was not fearful for her son's safety due to the relatively safe stretch of road, a concerned individual reported Soren's wandering, prompting deputies to locate him and return him home.
Subsequently, Patterson was arrested at her residence, with bodycam footage capturing the moment deputies informed her of the charge of reckless endangerment. Despite questioning the basis of the charge, Patterson was handcuffed and taken into custody.
Following her arrest, authorities reportedly offered to drop the charge if Patterson agreed to a safety plan that involved using a GPS tracker on her son's phone. However, Patterson declined to sign the plan, expressing her belief that it implied an inherent danger in her home or parenting decisions.
Released on $500 bail, Patterson now faces the possibility of up to a year in jail under the reckless conduct charge. She has stated her intention to contest the charge and defend her parental choices.
