Summerville Police arrested a 44-year-old woman last Friday after an incident involving a young child found walking alone on a roadway escalated into a brief escape attempt by the child’s grandmother, who was wanted on an outstanding warrant.

The incident began when officers were dispatched to the area of Red Leaf and Northwest Congress, near the city limits, following reports of a child walking unattended on the roadway. Upon arrival, officers spoke with complainants who stated they had stopped to ensure the child’s safety.

Investigators determined the child had come from 85 Red Leaf, the residence of the child’s grandmother, Audrey Wooten. Wooten reportedly told officers she had been asleep and believed the child had left with their mother. The child was safely returned to Wooten’s custody.

However, during the ongoing investigation, officers discovered that Audrey Wooten had an active warrant for her arrest through Chattooga County.

As officers prepared to take Wooten into custody, she requested to use the bathroom. Police allowed her to do so, with an officer positioned near a privacy curtain. Despite this, Wooten reportedly fled through a bedroom window in an attempt to evade arrest.

A quick search by officers led to Wooten being found hiding under the porch of an abandoned trailer nearby. She was then taken into custody without further incident and transported to the Chattooga County Jail to face the outstanding charges.