EUNICE, LA. (KPLC/Gray News) – A Louisiana woman is facing several charges after allegedly leaving her son on the side of the road in the middle of the night and reporting him kidnapped.

Around 1 a.m. on Nov. 5, 24-year-old Artasia Viges called 911 and told authorities that someone had kidnapped her son in an older model truck while he was fixing a flat tire on the side of the highway.

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 “squashed” him and left him on the side of the road.

The person was taken to the hospital for treatment and the authorities were called to investigate the situation further.

During the investigation, it was determined that the disagreement between Viges and his son escalated and led to 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 allegedly chose to leave the child outside the car and allowed him to run into the darkness along the highway.

Deputies said Viges admitted to detectives that he didn’t try to go after her and eventually lost sight of her.

He was charged with cruelty to children, abandonment of children, and false blasphemy for the purpose of violating public health and safety.

His bond was set at $200,000.

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