GASTONIA, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina authorities say a woman was arrested after police found her taking a nighttime walk in freezing temperatures with her unclothed baby, a 16-month-old infant covered only by a diaper and a small blanket.
News outlets report 20-year-old Marquilia Renee Womack was charged Thursday with misdemeanor child abuse.
Gastonia Police say Womack had been out walking for about a mile (1.6 kilometers) on Wednesday night when she was stopped by an officer who reported the baby was shivering profusely in the 26-degree (-3 Celsius) weather.
Officer S.A. Cain said in an arrest warrant that the child was only wearing a diaper, wrapped in a “small blanket.” Police didn’t elaborate on what led up to the incident
It’s unclear whether Womack has an attorney who could comment on her behalf.
