It was a cold rainy evening in Ohio when a mother allegedly abandoned her 5-year-old nonverbal son with autism at the side of a quiet street.
The Feb. 17 event in Colerain Township was caught on two separate residential surveillance cameras from homes in the area.
Martin Thomas Adkins was allegedly abandoned 75 miles from his home and reportedly walked around for an hour alone in the dark until a passerby in a car stopped to help.
His mother Heather Adkins, 32, from Indiana, could face up to 11 years in prison, prosecutors say.
Footage shows a white SUV, that officials say Adkins was driving, stop around 8 p.m. and “basically kick (Martin) out the car,” Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters said, as per WBRC News.
One of the surveillance videos shows the young boy wandering around on the porch of a house, which is said to be alongside a creek which had 10 additional feet of water that the boy could have fallen into; the street was also near a construction site, according to Fox News.
Eventually, a passing driver saw Martin waving his arms on the side of the road, pulled over and called police. Another passerby who spotted the stranded boy stopped and allowed him to warm up in their vehicle until police arrived.
Officers couldn’t understand how he came to be walking around at night alone as Martin is nonverbal.
Police then shared an image of Martin publicly asking for help to find his family.
The photos of Martin were seen in Shelbyville, Indiana, where he’s from and residents recognized him.
“It’s heartbreaking to imagine what this nonverbal, 5-year-old boy went through. I’m certain he was confused and hurt,” Prosecutor Deters said. “His mother, being the person with whom he totally depended upon, dumps him on a dangerous road – in the pouring rain – to fend for himself, 70 miles from his home.”
His mother was arrested in Georgetown, Kentucky, two days after the incident. She was extradited to Ohio from Kentucky.
According to court records, the youngster also had scratches on his face and ears and had decayed teeth when he was found, as per WKYT News.
His mother is currently in jail on charges of kidnapping and endangering children, and if convicted could face 11 years in prison.
I hope this boy is now safe and can be found the loving and supportive home he deserves.
