Woman Arrested For Allegedly Abandoning Her Child, Two Young Children Along Busy Interstate In Garrett County
CUMBERLAND, Md. (WJZ) -- Maryland State Police arrested a woman who allegedly abandoned her child and two young children along the shoulder of an interstate in Garrett County.
Maryland State Police from the McHenry Barrack received a call from a distraught 11-year-old child just after 9 p.m. on Sunday, July 12.
The child told police he had been abandoned along the shoulder of Westbound I-68 at the Cassleman River with his 5-year-old sister and their 9-year-old friend.
Troopers were able to locate the children standing in the dark only a few feet away from heavy traffic. They were safely taken to an area off the interstate.
When speaking with the children, troopers learned they had been traveling with Alix Marshall Locke, of Cumberland, Maryland.
Locke was the mother of one of the children, according to Maryland State Police.
The children told troopers that she was heavily intoxicated and had earlier backed into another vehicle at the Keyser's Ridge Truck Stop and fled the scene.
The children said after driving on I-68, Locke pulled to the shoulder and then abandoned them before driving away, according to the Maryland State Police.
Troopers discovered that Locke was watching two of the children for a neighbor and had taken them for the day.
Maryland State Police troopers and the Cumberland City Police Department immediately began a search for the vehicle, but were unable to locate it at that time.
The children were all released to legal guardians.
On Tuesday, July 14, troopers were able to locate Locke at an address in Cumberland. They also located the gray Nissan Murano with damage, which was consistent with being involved in a collision.
Locke was arrested without incident and was taken before a judicial officer. Locke was charged with multiple violations relating to this incident.