A 24-year-old mother from Louisiana has been taken into custody for reportedly leaving her young son on the roadside at night and subsequently misleading authorities by claiming the child had been abducted.
Authorities announced that Artasia Q. Viges was arrested last week and faces charges of cruelty to a juvenile, child desertion, and false swearing related to public health or safety violations.
On November 5, 2024, deputies from the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office responded to a report regarding a potential kidnapping of a young child near U.S. 190 and Industrial Road in Eunice, Louisiana, located approximately 80 miles east of Baton Rouge.
First responders arrived at the scene and spoke with Viges, who stated that “people in an older model truck had taken her son while she was parked on the road fixing a flat tire.”
However, Viges’ narrative quickly unraveled, exposing the reality behind her “serious actions,” according to investigators.
“Almost immediately upon arriving on scene, deputies learned that the unattended child was found by citizens in the parking lot of Heinen Medical Clinic with abrasion injuries to his knees,” the release states. “The child stated to officers that his mother ‘ran him over’ and left him on the side of the road. The child was transported to the nearby hospital for treatment.”
Because of the significant differences in accounts from Viges and her son, the sheriff’s office Juvenile Detectives Unit has been brought in to handle the investigation.
“A subsequent interview with Artasia 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,” the release states. “What started as a disagreement between a mother and a child became a bizarre reaction to the child having a tantrum.”
Authorities reported that Viges moved the vehicle to the roadside while her son, who was clearly not secured correctly, exited the car before it fully stopped, leading to a knee injury for the boy.
The sheriff’s office stated, “The mother decided to leave the child outside the car, permitting him to wander off into the darkness along busy roads.” “The mother told detectives that she did not try to pursue him and eventually lost track of him.”
Viges is now in custody at the St. Landry Parish Jail with a bond set at $200,000.
Officials highlighted that the inquiry into Viges is still in progress and encouraged anyone with pertinent details to reach out to the sheriff’s office at 337-948-6516.