A Georgia father was arrested after leaving his young children unattended at a McDonald’s while attending a job interview nearby.
Chris Louis walked with his three children — ages 1, 6, and 10 — to the restaurant’s indoor play area just before 4:30 p.m. and left them alone while he briefly went to a job interview.
A concerned customer saw Louis leave and alerted the authorities. Richmond County sheriff’s deputies arrived to find the children unharmed and alone in the restaurant.
Louis returned to the McDonald’s around 6:20 p.m., where he was confronted by police about leaving his children unattended.
According to the report, Louis does not own a car. The police stayed with the children until their mother arrived to take them home.
The 24-year-old father was arrested and charged with deprivation of a minor.
The story quickly gained attention, including from former NFL star Antonio Brown. The ex-Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver expressed sympathy for Louis’s situation and started a GoFundMe fundraiser that raised over $67,000 as of Wednesday night.
The arrest sparked a heated debate online, with a majority of opinions expressing support for Louis’s actions.
“A 10-yr-old can watch other kids in a community spot for a short period of time. There should have been lenience for him,” conservative pundit Mary Katharine Ham reacted on X.
“I was watching all four of my younger siblings by that age — even younger,” another X user said.
“Give this Dad a break. He wants to work, and he put his kids in a safe place while he went to the interview,” former New York Lt. Gov. Betsy McCaughey said.
KELLY LOEFFLER ARGUES ‘LIBERATION DAY’ WILL PROVIDE ‘SALVATION’ TO US MARKET
“He had a kid when he was fourteen and holds himself responsible for it. A ten year old can watch a sibling for a short amount of time. This is a wild overreaction on the part of LE,” author Bethany Mandel responded.
It remains unclear whether the father got the job or what will happen next for the family.
