A Detroit woman charged after allowing her young nieces and nephew to participate in a dangerous car stunt that she not only orchestrated but documented. Ashjunaria Virginia Townsend, 23, has been slapped with multiple child abuse and reckless driving charges for the incident that took place earlier this month.
On Feb. 10, Townsend was behind the wheel in the 9900 block of Somerset Avenue with a 5-year-old boy, a 9-year-old girl, and two 10-year-old girls hanging out of the vehicle's windows, as detailed by the Wayne County prosecutor's office. Video evidence showing the children perilously positioned out the windows while she drove and recorded them with her cellphone went viral on social media. FOX 2 reported that Townsend was apprehended on Monday and is facing four counts of second-degree child abuse and one count of reckless driving.
Authorities told FOX 2 that the disturbing incident caught the attention of Detroit Police Chief James White, leading to an investigation and Townsend's arrest. During an interview, Townsend expressed regret, saying,"I want to clear up that I am remorseful. First of all, I'd like to say that I've already apologized to the parents of the kids," and admitting her judgment may have been flawed:"I do regret letting them hang out of the window. I definitely do feel sorry for that because it could've went badly." She insisted that she was traveling at a mere 2 mph during the stunt.
The charges were announced by Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, who emphasized the gravity of Townsend's actions. In a statement obtained by WWJ Newsradio 950, the office highlighted that allowing children to "hang out" of a moving vehicle, especially while being distracted by recording them, constitutes a serious violation of their safety. Townsend, identified as the aunt of the children in question, is slated for arraignment at the 36th District Court.
Further details about the case have also come to light, with mlive reporting that an investigation by the Detroit Police Department was launched leading up to her arrest.
