According to Missouri authorities and local news reports, prosecutors charged an East St. Louis woman on Monday after police said her 8-year-old child was driving her car the wrong way on a downtown street while she lay unconscious in the back seat.
Latonya Mayes-Gale is reportedly the woman who passed out in the back. According to reports, she was driving, but she told the boy to take over so she could settle into the back seat.
On Monday, while officers were near the Gateway Arch and 4th and Walnut streets in downtown St. Louis, they observed a car traveling west in the eastbound lanes. The officers were taken aback when they pulled the car over and found the young driver.
According to the officers, a 3-year-old was not in a car seat. Mayes-Gale was arrested on two charges of first-degree endangering the welfare of a child.
She is currently out on bond after being booked into the City Justice Center. During the bond hearing, Mayes-Gale's attorney attempted to defend her by saying that she raises her two children, works as a home health aid, and takes care of an elderly grandparent who is confined to her house.
Prosecutors, however, claimed that drugs played a significant role in the incident. Mayes-Gale's attorney also said that other factors like stress and mental health also influenced her decision.
According to court documents, the judge granted the bond despite the prosecution's objections. Records state that Mayes-Gale is currently under house arrest and is not allowed to see her children.
Furthermore, The Riverfront Times reported that her children are currently residing with their father.
Her next court date is scheduled for April 23.
