A seven-year-old North Carolina boy tragically died when a 76-year-old woman hit him with her car while crossing the street.
Instead of excusing this as an accident or going after the driver, Gaston County District Attorney Travis Page had the parents arrested, charging them with involuntary manslaughter and child neglect.
The parents, Samuele and Jessica Ivey Jenkins, didn’t push their son into the street, nor did they allow him to roam the streets without knowing his whereabouts. The charges came after his parents let him and his older brother (10) walk about two blocks home without an adult to get a sandwich. And for that, the nanny state arrested both parents, charging them with heinous crimes, and forced them into jail on a $1.5 million bond, which was later reduced.
Okay yes but when I let my kid wander 10 feet from me (within eyeshot) in a toy store I had people on here telling me I had committed child neglect so who’s to say https://t.co/luQm6TBeek
— Cartoons Hate Her! (@CartoonsHateHer) August 4, 2025
A Georgia mother was forced to sign a “safety plan” in 2024 after authorities were called about her 10-year-old son walking alone to the center of their small town, which boasts a population of 370 people. A nine-year-old girl was playing in a park by herself while her mom worked down the street. Her mother was charged with unlawful conduct towards a child.
While both women’s charges were dropped, the same cannot be said for Samuele and Jessica Ivey Jenkins.
They took a plea deal in June, receiving credit for 25 days already spent in jail. Both received a suspended sentence with probation, Sameule for 36 months and Jessica for 30 months, for negligent child abuse leading to serious injury. They must now take parenting classes and pay court and lawyer fees. (Sign up for Mary Rooke’s weekly newsletter here!)
Instead of being able to grieve the tragic loss of their son, these parents were forced to fight for their freedom, all because they let their sons walk two blocks away from home. This is something that most children should not only be allowed to do but also be capable of doing on their own.
I’ll ask again
Did parents in the 70s/80s/90s really allow their kids to roam freely, or is that just a portrayal seen in movies
— 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭 𝐏𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫 (@Matt_Pinner) August 4, 2025
Our society has become too cautious, and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that, because of this heightened obsession with helicopter parenting and nanny state government, we are seeing a rise in social anxiety and stunted growth among younger generations now becoming adults.
We need to have a serious conversation about how to raise strong, capable children in our country. Our kids need opportunities for adventure. As a millennial, I have some of the fondest memories of riding my bike with my sisters to the local convenience store to buy candy and other snacks.
Because idiots call the cops on kids roaming free.
— red light (@RedsLight) August 5, 2025
We knew the streets in our town like the back of our hand and also knew which ones to stay away from to avoid the creeps and losers. As long as we told our parents we were leaving, they afforded us the independence to navigate these situations without their ever-watchful eye. We didn’t know it at the time, but giving us this leeway taught us valuable lessons on risk and reward. (ROOKE: Anchor Baby Congresswoman Admits To Treason)
I must admit that it worries me when I see headlines like this. What would happen if, on one of my girls’ summer walks, a neighbor calls the cops because they are walking without parental supervision? Are they going to arrest me for child neglect because I allowed them the same independence I was afforded at their age? Will Child Protective Services show up at my door?
Our children are capable of great things, but we must provide them with the opportunities to realize this potential. If we don’t take a stand against the encroachment of the government and neighborhood busybodies on our parental rights to raise our children how we see fit, then we will see them gone forever.
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