Wandering child with autism among 3 kids left alone, GA cops say. Mom charged

A mother of three is facing charges of reckless conduct after one of her children was found wandering in the night, according to investigators in south Georgia.

The nonverbal child was one of three siblings, including an infant, found home alone on April 20, the Albany Police Department said.

“Officers responded to the 1800 block of W. Broad Ave. in reference to a juvenile being on the roadway without adult supervision around 8 p.m.,” the police department reported in an April 22 news release.

“There were two additional juveniles who were unsupervised inside of a residence. ... It was determined that the children: ages 8, 4 and 9 months old were left alone at home.”

All three children are “autistic and nonverbal,” police said.

Autism is a developmental disability that can impact “social communication and interaction,” the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.

Police were still at the home when a 25-year-old woman arrived and was identified as the mother of the children. She was accompanied by a 66-year-old man, who is their grandfather, police said.

Both adults were charged with three counts of reckless conduct, police said.

“None of the children were harmed,” police said.

Albany is about a 190-mile drive south from Atlanta.

This story was originally published April 25, 2025 at 11:08 AM with the headline "Wandering child with autism among 3 kids left alone, GA cops say. Mom charged."