Police in St. Louis responded to a call about a suspicious vehicle driving erratically on April 15 and were shocked when they saw the driver. He didn’t appear impaired, but he was definitely too young to be behind the wheel. In fact, he probably had a hard time reaching the pedals, as he was only 8 years old. His mother was reportedly passed out in the back seat, and she thought he could drive them home.
The child's mother, 29-year-old Latonya Mayes-Gale, was sleeping in the back of the car with a toddler who wasn't in a car seat, according to KSDK. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but the mother was taken to jail.
More from CafeMom: St. Louis Man Shoots & Kills Mom Entering Home; Lawyer Says He Thought She Was an Intruder
The mother was apparently intoxicated.
Per a probable cause statement obtained by KSDK, Mayes-Gale had been drinking and reportedly found herself too intoxicated to drive her family back to their home in East St. Louis, Illinois. She apparently thought her 8-year-old son could handle the job and got into the back seat of the car with her other son and passed out.
The 8-year-old appeared to have a hard time controlling the car.
According to police, a security officer saw the boy driving the car the wrong way in the eastbound lane at the corner of 4th and Walnut streets around 4 a.m. and told him to stop. After the boy safely pulled over, the security officer called police, who arrived a short time later.
Mayes-Gayle was taken to the hospital before her arrest.
She was reportedly taken to Saint Louis University Hospital to discover whether she was "fit for confinement" before she was taken to the St. Louis City Justice Center, KSDK reported. It was determined that Mayes-Gale was intoxicated, and she was charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child.
She appeared in court and was released by the judge.
The Riverfront Times reported that Judge Heather Hays released Mayes-Gale on bond and ordered her on house arrest. She is not permitted to leave her home, even to go to work. She is also barred from possessing guns, drugs, or driving a car. Mayes-Gale cannot have contact with her children, who are currently living with their father.
More from CafeMom: 12-Year-Old Girl Accused of Stealing Dad's Car, Driving 400 Miles To Visit Online Stranger
Mental illness may have played a part in the mother's case.
According to her attorney, Steven Kratky, Mayes-Gale is a single mother of two, a home health aide, and cares for her elderly homebound grandparent, the RFT reported. He said that although his client may have substance abuse issues, it is more likely that she acted out of stress and mental health troubles. He added that his client is "no danger to the community."
