A weekend police call to a North Nashville apartment complex ended with a 27-year-old mother in handcuffs, after officers say they watched her verbally and physically abusing her four young children in a parked vehicle. All four kids, each under the age of five, were found in soiled clothing with dirty feet, and officers reported that an infant’s diaper was overflowing. The woman was taken into custody in the Bordeaux neighborhood and booked on four counts of child neglect and one count of child abuse.
What officers say
According to an arrest affidavit, Metro Nashville officers who responded on Sunday found the woman standing outside a vehicle and yelling at her four children, who were seated inside. The affidavit states the children appeared unbathed, with “fresh and old feces” on their clothing, and notes that an infant’s diaper was “overflowing.” It also alleges that at one point the mother “slammed the door on the child’s foot.” Those details come from an affidavit obtained by WSMV.
Where it happened
Police reported the arrest at Overlook Ridge Apartments, a complex off Buena Vista Pike that property records and prior police releases place in the Bordeaux section of North Nashville. The leasing page for Overlook Ridge lists the address as 2400 Buena Vista Pike and provides standard contact and location information. See the property listing from LHP.
Charges and Tennessee law
The woman, identified in the affidavit as 27-year-old Alyissa Pritchard, is facing four counts of child neglect and one count of child abuse, according to WSMV. Tennessee’s child abuse and neglect statute, T.C.A. § 39-15-401, covers a range of conduct and allows for either misdemeanor or felony charges depending on the child’s age and the extent of harm, while aggravated offenses are defined in T.C.A. § 39-15-402, as outlined by FindLaw. At this stage, the counts are allegations that will be addressed in court.
Child welfare context
A recent performance audit from the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury reported that the state’s Child Abuse Hotline logged roughly 146,964 allegations in calendar year 2024, while also pointing to staffing shortages and oversight gaps that can complicate investigations and child placements. Advocates and officials say those system strains can make quick intervention more difficult in cases where children may need immediate protection, adding broader context to how local incidents fit into a stressed statewide safety net.
The affidavit does not say where the four children were taken after officers arrested their mother, and early reports do not detail their current condition or placement. Metro police and the District Attorney’s Office have not released further information, and investigators say the case remains open. If it moves forward, the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services will likely be involved in determining care arrangements and next steps for the children.
