A Louisiana woman, 24-year-old Artasia Q. Viges, has been apprehended by authorities on charges of child desertion, cruelty to a juvenile, and false swearing with the intent to violate public health or safety. The charges stem from an incident where Viges allegedly abandoned her young son on a roadside late at night, later falsely claiming to law enforcement that the child had been abducted.
The St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office reported that deputies responded to a call on November 5, 2024, concerning a potential child abduction in the vicinity of U.S. 190 and Industrial Road in Eunice, Louisiana, approximately 80 miles east of Baton Rouge. Upon arrival, first responders encountered Viges, who claimed that individuals had kidnaped her son in an older model truck while she was attending to a flat tire on her vehicle.
However, inconsistencies in Viges’ account soon emerged, revealing a different narrative. Deputies discovered the child, unattended, in the parking lot of Heinen Medical Clinic, with abrasions on his knees. The child informed officers that his mother had “run him over” and left him on the side of the road. He was subsequently transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Due to the significant discrepancies between the accounts of Viges and her son, the sheriff’s office Juvenile Detectives Unit was brought in to further investigate the case. A follow-up interview with Viges unveiled the disturbing truth: there had been no abduction, and the child had been left alone on a major roadway in the middle of the night.
Authorities stated that Viges had pulled her car over to the side of the road following a disagreement with her son. The child, who was not properly restrained, exited the moving vehicle, resulting in a knee injury. Viges admitted to detectives that she did not attempt to retrieve her son and eventually lost sight of him.
Viges is currently detained at the St. Landry Parish Jail, with bail set at $200,000. The investigation into the incident is ongoing, and authorities are urging anyone with pertinent information to contact the sheriff’s office.