A mother from Wisconsin has been released on bail following her arrest for forcing her 12-year-old son out of her vehicle and making him walk nearly two miles along a crowded highway.
On November 7, Flor Escalante faced charges of felony child abandonment along with a misdemeanor charge related to child neglect. She was taken into custody at a Sylvan Learning Center, where she had planned to take her son before they got into a disagreement during the drive there.
A confrontation regarding the boy’s academic performance concluded when Escalante stopped the vehicle on the shoulder of the I-94 highway, compelled her son to exit the car, and instructed him to walk the remainder of the distance to the tutoring center.
According to a report from a local Fox affiliate, police scanner audio revealed multiple calls from drivers “a 10- or 12-year-old on the shoulder crying,” and “He doesn’t know his mom or dad’s name. We’re going to be setting up a post.”
When the authorities arrived at the scene, night had fallen and the streets were bustling with evening commuters. The temperature fell to around 50 degrees, and the boy was inadequately dressed for the conditions, lacking a phone to seek assistance.
A young boy informed the authorities that he was on his way to the Sylvan Learning Center, where his mother awaited him. The boy was taken to the location, after which Escalante was apprehended and transported to the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department for questioning.
The criminal complaint reveals that Escalante expressed to police that her son “didn’t appreciate everything [she] did for him,” noting her commitment to working “several jobs” while also dedicating time to assist him with his schoolwork and additional support he required. She instructed him to exit the vehicle and continue on foot, emphasizing that it would help him grasp the concept of hard work.
Escalante informed authorities that as she left her son by the roadside, the vehicles were moving at a reduced speed. When she looked back to locate her son, he was missing, yet she opted not to contact the police, believing they would return him to her.
She was freed after posting a $500 bail.