Is leaving a 5-year-old with strangers at a gas station on a road trip from North Carolina to Georgia to search for an ATM to pay for gas against the law and considered negligence?

Answer 1

There are several mitigating factors in this situation that would determine what (if any) charges would be brought against the responsible person. First and foremost would be, why and with whom was the child left? Followed by, length of time the child was left? Conditions (time of day, night, weather, establishment). The adult who made such a misguided decision should be held accountable and can possibly face such charges as, child endangerment, unlawful abandonment, committing a willful act of negligence which resulted in undue emotional distress of a minor child and so forth. It would be extremely difficult to justify such an action to authorities, even though the child suffered no harm or ill effects. Although leaving a young child under such conditions would have caused him/her minor distress to say the least. Definitely NOT a wise decision!