PEORIA, Ariz. — A woman is accused of child abuse after holding an infant in her hands on the hood of a moving vehicle in a Walmart parking lot Tuesday night.
The incident occurred at the Walmart in Peoria off of 79th and Peoria avenues., just shy of 7 p.m. According to the police report, the woman was identified as 24-year-old Deleaha Brown-Dawson from California.
Several witnesses called 911 after seeing Dawson on the hood of a gray passenger car with an infant in her hands while the vehicle was circling the Walmart parking lot.
Four witnesses told the police officer on the scene the vehicle was seen circling the parking lot, which then exited the parking lot and stopped on 79th Avenue and Beryl Lane, then the car drove about 600 feet from the Walmart parking lot, according to police.
Court documents state that Dawson “estimated the vehicle was moving 5 mph.”
While the officer was on the scene, Dawson walked to the Walmart with the baby in her hands, while ignoring the officers' orders to stop, and then proceeded to go inside to the restroom.
The police report states that Dawson “was in a verbal argument with the driver of the passenger car she was seen on top of.”
The person driving the vehicle was not named in the police report. Dawson told officers that she “was attempting to grab her belongings from the vehicle."
The officer said Dawson placed her 1-year-old child in a dangerous circumstance.
Dawson was arrested and has since been released.
