Police: Mother left son locked outside home while she went to class
JACKSON, Tenn. — A Jackson woman is facing a child abuse charge on accusations of leaving her 8-year-old son outside for several hours while she went to class. Court documents say Amber Gallagher’s son ran outside their Summerfield Drive home in north Jackson Wednesday when she tried to discipline him. He reportedly was wearing only socks and underwear. When she couldn’t find him, she is accused of locking up the residence, where no one else was home, and leaving to go to her college classes. Police say the child remained outside from around 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. When Gallagher returned home around 3:15 p.m. and still couldn’t find her son, she then went to the police department, according to an affidavit. The boy was found around 5 p.m. alone in the front yard of the home. Gallagher is charged with child abuse, neglect or endangerment.
