The public has rallied in support of a Georgia father trying to make ends meet for his three children.
According to the New York Post, Augusta resident Chris Louis, 24, left his children, ages 10, 6, and 1, unattended at a McDonald’s while he went to a job interview nearby.
The family reportedly walked from their apartment to the restaurant at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday. Louis briefly returned to the restaurant, which has a children’s play area, to check on the kids before leaving once more, a concerned McDonald’s customer told authorities.
Upon arrival, Richmond County sheriffs found the children unaccompanied but unharmed before confronting Louis when he returned around 6:20 p.m. Louis does not own a vehicle and told police that he didn’t want the children walking back to the apartment alone. He was taken into custody and charged with deprivation of a minor.
The situation caused an uproar on social media, with some understanding that Louis was trying to support his family, while others found his actions irresponsible.
Motivated to support Louis was Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown, who launched a GoFundMe and said that he spoke to Louis’ girlfriend about their family’s welfare. He also contributed $1,000 to the fundraiser.
“Story caught me by surprise,” Brown wrote on the GoFundMe page. “A dad just trying to find a way to make money for his family. I know he shouldn’t just leave his kids, but some people don’t have the means for babysitting, etc.”
By the time of publication, donations to the fundraiser totaled more than $61,450.
The story is similar to that of Phoenix mother Shanesha Taylor, who was arrested in 2014 for leaving her two youngest children, ages 2 and 6 months old, alone in a vehicle with the air conditioning turned on while she went to a job interview.
Taylor was reportedly unhoused at the time and couldn’t find childcare. She was sentenced to 18 years of probation after pleading guilty to one count of child abuse and received over $100,000 in donations.
Klook.com
