FANNIN COUNTY, Ga. — A Georgia mom is speaking out after being arrested and charged with reckless conduct when her 10-year-old son was found walking alone near their home.
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Brittany Patterson, 41, was taken into custody on October 30 following a report of “a juvenile in the roadway” near a Dollar General store, according to the Fannin County Sheriff’s Office.
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Deputies located Patterson’s son, Soren, who is now 11, about a mile from their family home. At the time, Patterson had left to take another of her children to a doctor’s appointment and was unaware Soren had left the house, the sheriff’s report states. Georgia law defines parental neglect as a “failure to provide a child with adequate supervision necessary for such child’s well-being.”
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Speaking to media, Patterson expressed frustration but insisted she did not believe Soren was in any danger. “I wasn’t panicking or concerned because it’s just a short walk from our house. He knows how to get home,” Patterson said.
Footage from deputies’ bodycams shows Patterson questioning her arrest.
- Patterson: “What am I under arrest for?”
- Deputy: “For reckless endangerment.”
- Patterson: “And how was I recklessly endangering my child?”
When Patterson argued that it isn’t illegal for a child to walk to the store, a deputy responded, “It is when they’re 10 years old.”
The arrest warrant alleges that Patterson “willingly and knowingly did endanger the bodily safety” of her son. Patterson’s attorney, David Delugas, challenged the basis of the charge in an interview with media, saying, “Our criminal justice system is built on the fact that you did something or you were negligent. So what is it she did?”
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Authorities offered to drop the charge if Patterson agreed to a safety plan requiring a GPS tracker on her son’s phone. Patterson refused, saying it implied her parental decisions were unsafe. “I just felt like I couldn’t sign that… I just don’t believe there’s anything unsafe about my home or decisions,” she said.
Patterson, who is currently out on bail, faces up to one year in jail if convicted of reckless conduct. The case has sparked a broader conversation on parental rights, supervision, and legal boundaries in child safety.