EUNICE, La. (KPLC) – St. An Eunice woman is facing several charges after leaving her son on the side of the road in the middle of the night and reporting him kidnapped, according to the Landry County Sheriff’s Office.

Artasia Viges, 24, was arrested for the following crimes:

• Persecution against young people
• child runaway
• perjury for the purpose of violating public health and safety

Around 1 a.m. on Nov. 5, Viges reported that his son was kidnapped by people in an older model truck while he was fixing a flat tire on the side of the highway, according to the sheriff’s office. When deputies arrived, they learned the boy was found in a clinic parking lot with scrapes on his knees.

The boy told deputies that his mother had “stomped him” and left him on the side of the road, according to investigators. The child was taken to hospital for treatment and transferred to St. Landry County Sheriff’s Office Juvenile Detectives were called to investigate. .

“A later interview with Artasia Viges revealed the terrible truth; The sheriff’s office said in a news release that there was no kidnapping and that a young child was left unattended along the main road and allowed to escape at night.

Deputies said a disagreement between Viges and his son caused him to have a nervous breakdown. While pulling over, the child was thrown out before the car stopped, which injured the child’s knees.

According to the sheriff’s office, Viges chose to leave the child outside the car and let him run into the darkness along the highway. Viges admitted to detectives that he didn’t try to go after her and eventually lost sight of her.

Viges, St. He was sent to Landry County Jail. His bond was set at $200,000.

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