September 19, 2016 | State, The: Web Edition Articles (Columbia, SC)Author: Noah Feit, The State | Section: crime

The mother of a 4-year-old found alone after wandering down a highway was arrested on Monday.

Taquanna Thomas, 23, was arrested by the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office and charged with unlawful neglect of a child. Her son was taken to Kershaw Health for an evaluation and released into the custody of DSS, said Sheriff Jim Matthews.

A motorist saw Thomas’ child walking down US-1 in Elgin by himself at approximately 11 p.m. Sunday, according to Matthews, adding an off-duty law enforcement officer said he was awakened by a 4-year-old African American boy knocking on his door, saying he couldn’t find his parents.

Deputies discovered Thomas was at the Blaney Fire Department in Elgin trying to find her son. Thomas told the deputies she was driving around trying to get her son to go to sleep, became sleepy herself, pulled off the road and fell asleep.

She awoke later and discovered her son had let himself out of the vehicle, said Matthews, adding she couldn’t find the boy and drove to her home, 16 miles away on Lovett Rd. to retrieve her driver’s license before returning.

Thomas told an investigator she didn’t call 911 because she had just moved to Kershaw County and was living a relatively unstable life, saying she was afraid her son would be taken from her.

Thomas was transported to the Kershaw County Detention Center and will appear before a judge for a bond hearing. Thomas has no previous arrest record.