A 44-year-old Michigan woman is facing several charges after airport staff found her 11-year-old son wandering alone outside the terminal at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport on Tuesday. Nicolette Denise Jarrett, of Caledonia, Michigan, was taken into custody following a search that ended roughly a mile from where the boy was spotted, after he led officers to the inoperable vehicle where his mother had left him. The case escalated from an airport welfare check into a chaotic scene involving Louisville Metro Police, airport officers and hospital staff.
An airport employee spotted the boy in a grassy area outside the terminal and alerted airport police officer Sims, according to WAVE News. The boy told officers his mother had dropped him off at the airport that morning, then led police to the vehicle about a mile away, which was registered to Jarrett, found inoperable, and whose keys she still had on her. Louisville Airport Police ultimately issued the citation that led to her arrest, the outlet reported.
Boy Says Family Fled Michigan Over Alleged Threats
According to the boy, he and his family had fled their home because his mother claimed his father was trying to kill them, the outlet reported. Caledonia Township sits roughly 380 miles north of Louisville, a drive of five and a half to six hours along interstate routes, according to Rome2Rio. Police have not verified the boy's claims of threats against the family, and the child's father has not been charged in connection with the incident.
When Louisville Metro Police and airport officers approached, Jarrett resisted and tried to run before officers took her into custody, per the same account. During the confrontation she held her second child, described as non-verbal, in front of her. Jarrett later alleged that officers had assaulted her, requested medical attention, and told authorities she was experiencing a mental health crisis.
Combative Scene at University of Louisville Hospital
Jarrett was taken to University of Louisville Hospital, where she grew combative with staff, kicking her wheelchair and lunging at hospital personnel while attempting to bite them, per the report. Hospital staff had to physically restrain her, according to the same account, leading to additional charges tied to the encounter.
The University of Louisville's counseling resources page includes an emergency psychiatry phone number, according to the University of Louisville. The available account does not include details of whether Jarrett received a psychiatric evaluation following her arrest.
What Kentucky's Felony Statutes Mean for Jarrett's Case
Jarrett was charged with first-degree wanton endangerment. Police alleged her actions created a substantial risk to the boy's safety. She also faces abandonment of a minor.
The charge tied to the hospital confrontation is third-degree attempted assault of a healthcare provider. Her resisting-arrest charge and second-degree indecent exposure count are also listed among the charges.
Unanswered Questions About the Children's Welfare
The available account does not describe where the 11-year-old and his non-verbal sibling are currently placed or whether relatives have been contacted. It also does not detail any child-welfare custody process in this case. The account does not provide child-protection reporting contacts. According to the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Kentucky law requires anyone with reasonable cause to believe that a child is dependent, abused or neglected to report it.
Airport police handled the initial response before Louisville Metro Police joined in making the arrest. For now, the extent of what the two children experienced before officers found the boy alone outside the terminal remains among the case's unresolved details.
