Shelbyville woman accused of abandoning son arrested in Kentucky

SHELBYVILLE — A Shelbyville mother accused of abandoning her young son with autism has been arrested in Kentucky, police said Sunday.

The 5-year-old boy is in the custody of the Child Protective Services in Cincinnati.

The Georgetown (Kentucky) Police Department said 32-year-old Heather Adkins gave officers a false name, but her actual Social Security number. After running her Social Security Number, police found Adkins had a warrant for failure to pay a ticket from 2011 in Kentucky.

Police did not know until after Adkins' arrest that Indiana and Ohio agencies were looking for her.

Georgetown Police Department Assistant Chief Darin Allgood said Adkins was acting belligerent and beating on windows at the Clarks Pump-N-Go gas station.

"She was located in the parking lot, knocking on windows of cars, hanging around, not really having a purpose," said Georgetown Police Department Assistant Chief Darin Allgood.

Allgood said the department had no idea Adkins was wanted for allegedly abandoning her child until Sunday morning.

"The reason we weren't able to serve the warrants was because it wasn't entered in (the National Crime Information Center)," Allgood said. "I guess the stuff he had was just for Ohio."

The Colerain (Ohio) Police Department filed paperwork to keep her in jail there for child endangerment.

"She should go to court either (Monday) or Tuesday. She will go before to waive her extradition back to Ohio or we will go from there," Allgood said.

According to court documents, Adkins' 6-year-old son was found wandering alone on Copper Creek Lane, an "unfamiliar, dark, dead-end street." Colerain Police said passing drivers found the boy Thursday night near the intersection of Sheed Road and Gaines Road, a block from where court documents said the boy was abandoned.

The stretch of road along Sheed between Copper Creek and Gaines does not have a sidewalk. The boy was wearing a jacket and sweats when he was found.

"Thanks to concerned residents who called us quickly last night, he is safe and warm," police said in a statement on Facebook. "He will remain safe while we continue the investigation."

The story has captured hearts across the Midwest.

"It saddened me. It hurt me," Ron Reese said. "You should never, ever drop your child off on the side of the road as if your child was a piece of nothing."

Reese saw the boy wandering alone with a cut on his face, unable to communicate.

"I just seen him on the side of the road and I'm like oh my God it's a little kid," Reese said.

The 14-minute 911 call captures Reese trying to console him.

"You OK, man. Yeah, he's saying he's OK. He's soaking wet. He is soaking wet. You hungry? You want some food? Yeah?" Reese said in the call.

Crystalyn Davis, a family friend of Adkins, said Adkins dropped her two other children at Davis' house in Tazewell, Tennessee, on Thursday. It was the same night the 5-year-old was found wandering around 250 miles away in Ohio.