Inset: Chris Louis (Augusta Police Dept.). Background: The McDonald’s where Louis allegedly left his three young kids unattended (Google Maps).
A 24-year-old father in Georgia was arrested for allegedly leaving his three children — ages 10, 6, and 1 — unattended at a McDonald’s fast food restaurant for just under two hours while he walked to a job interview.
Chris Louis was taken into custody last week and charged with deprivation of a minor.
However, Louis’ arrest has sparked controversy, with some believing there was no excuse to possibly place his children in harms way, while others — including at least one former NFL star — have sided with the father of three for seemingly doing the best he could to provide for his family under difficult circumstances.
According to a report from The Augusta Press, authorities on March 22 responded to the McDonald’s in the 2900 block of Washington Road in Augusta. The restaurant has an indoor playground for children on the grounds.
A witness called authorities after seeing Louis leave his children alone and walk away from the establishment at about 4:30 p.m., per the report. He allegedly left the kids, returned, and then left again.
Upon arriving at the scene, first responders reportedly located the children, who were unharmed. They waited until about 6:18 p.m., when Louis arrived back at the McDonald’s.
When questioned by police, Louis reportedly explained that he and his children had walked from his nearby apartment to the restaurant before his job interview. Not having a car and not wanting to make his children walk back home so he could attend the interview, Louis allegedly left them unattended in the playground area and walked to the interview.
The children’s mother was called to pick up the kids and Louis was taken into custody and booked at the Richmond County Jail. He has since been released, online records show.
The story of Louis’ arrest spread quickly, eventually making its way to former Pittsburgh Steelers superstar wide receiver Antonio Brown, who decided to start a GoFundMe page for Louis.
“Story caught me by surprise. A dad just trying to find a way to make money for his family,” Brown wrote on the fundraising page. “I know he shouldn’t just leave his kids, but some people don’t have the means for babysitting, etc. This GoFundMe is set in place to help this man. I have spoken with GoFundMe and they will get the funds to Chris and his family. I haven’t spoken to Chris yet, but I hope to do so soon.”
As of Wednesday afternoon, the page, which is titled “Pursuit of Happiness,” had raised more than $46,000 with donations from more than 1,400 people, including a $1,000 donation from Brown.
