Brookfield, WI – A mother has pleaded guilty to abandoning her 12-year-old son after a dispute over his grades. Flor Escalante, 44, faced charges following the incident that occurred last year.
On Thursday, Escalante admitted to the charge of abandonment, while the judge dismissed the related child neglect charge. She received a sentence of two years probation.
The incident took place on November 8 when Escalante was driving her son to a Sylvan Learning Center. Following an argument, she pulled over on the I-94 highway and instructed him to exit the vehicle.
The boy was left to walk approximately two miles alone. Weather conditions were around 50 degrees, and he was not properly dressed for the temperature.
Multiple drivers alerted authorities about a child walking along the highway. They reported a “10- or 12-year-old on the shoulder crying.”
Police arrived and took the boy to the learning center where Escalante was waiting. She told officers that her son “didn’t appreciate everything [she] did for him.”
Escalante expressed she made him walk to teach him the value of hard work. She stated she intended to pick him up but could not locate him.
The case highlights concerns regarding parental responsibility and child safety on busy roads.