A mother has been arrested after allegedly ordering her young daughter to walk nearly 19 miles to elementary school alone because she was too hungover to drive her.
Lucia Victoria Marie Cruz, 35, was taken into custody on child endangerment charges before posting bond less than 24 hours later, according to deputies.
Authorities say Cruz told her daughter, who is under the age of 12, to leave the house and walk to school by herself after Cruz had been drinking heavily the night before. The situation came to light when deputies discovered the child walking alone along a busy roadway roughly one mile from her home.
When officers stopped to check on her, the girl allegedly revealed that her mother had passed out after drinking an entire bottle of wine and refused to take her to school. According to deputies, Cruz then went back to sleep, leaving the child to attempt the long walk on her own.
Investigators say the distance between the home and the school was approximately 19 miles, a journey that would have taken hours on foot and exposed the child to serious danger.
Law enforcement officials described the circumstances as deeply concerning, noting the risks posed by traffic, weather conditions, and the child’s age. Cruz was arrested shortly afterward and charged with child endangerment.
The case has sparked outrage, with many questioning how a parent could place a child in such a perilous situation. Authorities have not released details about the child’s current living arrangements, but the incident remains under investigation.
Cruz has not publicly commented on the allegations.
