Was This 8-Year-Old Boy Forced to Drive Her Drunken Mother Home??

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Screenshot: St. Louis Metro Police Department

A St. Louis woman was slammed with felony charges for allegedly taking leave of common sense with her 8-year-old son.

St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department said in a statement around 4 a.m. Monday morning, 8-year-old Latonya Mayes-Gale’s child was seen driving a car in the wrong direction of traffic driving near the corner of 4th and Walnut Street.

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Police documents say the boy took control of the wheel when Mayes-Gale couldn’t drive because she was too drunk to drive herself. A nearby security officer got the boy to stop the car and then contacted the police.

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Officers found Mayes-Gale passed out cold in the back of the vehicle with her second child, a 3-year-old, who rode in the car without a carseat.

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The investigation confirmed Mayes-Gale was under the influence of alcohol which led her to ask her child to finish driving her and his sibling the rest of the way home. It’s unclear how far they were from their destination.

The mother of two was transferred to Saint Louis University Hospital where officials determined she was fit for confinement. Police then transferred her to custody and booked her in St. Louis City Justice Center.

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St. Louis prosecutors charged her with two counts of felony child endangerment. She faces one year if prison if convicted.

Her lawyer said in a statement to NBC News Mayes-Gale worked as a home health aide, caring for an elderly homebound grandparent. The report says a judge released her from jail Tuesday to wait for her bond hearing.

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The Root reached out to the St. Louis Metro PD to confirm if Mayes-Gale is still in custody of her children upon the pending case.