Bizarre series of events land Wake County mom in jail for child abuse

WAKE COUNTY, NC (WTVD) -- A Wake County mom is in jail Friday after a bizarre incident described by Raleigh police in court documents.

In an arrest warrant, investigators said that it all began at a "pick up line" at an unnamed Raleigh school, apparently in Northwest Raleigh, on Thursday.

The arrest warrant for 30-year-old Karen Fernandez said a passersby noticed her passed out in the carpool line with her 7-month-old son in the car.

After they woke her up, they told police she drove off.

Police said they also received three additional calls about her continuing to drive without a tire or wheel on the front passenger side of her vehicle as she traveled from the Northwest district into downtown.

Officers finally caught up with her near the downtown Raleigh Krispy Kreme at Peace and Person Streets but not until after she had driven two miles on just the brake disc.

On Friday, an ABC11 crew found the car still parked on the curb on Peace Street.

There were deep scratch marks in the pavement leading up to the location of the car.

Inside the car, there was a baby bottle and baby clothes.

Fernandez was charged with misdemeanor child abuse, surprising her friend and roommate, Daniel Jackson.

"She's a good mother and she's been taking care of that baby like it should be," Jackson said.

With Fernandez in jail, Jackson said he still doesn't know what happened.

"I have no idea unless she was just was in shock, people running up on her and stuff. She just got confused and left the scene. You know that's the only thing I can come up with right there. I don't understand it. I know she wasn't under the influence of anything," he said.

Fernandez was not charged with DWI.

And even though she is still in jail, her 7-month-old son somehow ended up back at her house, under Jackson's care.

While the ABC11 crew was at the residence, Fernandez's father, the baby's grandfather, showed up and took the little boy away, leaving Jackson stunned by the chain of events.

"I'm worried about this because that's not like her," he said.