Sonya Hendren: California Mom Arrested For Letting Son Play Outside Alone

Sonya Hendren was arrested for felony child endangerment and child neglect for allowing her son to play outside alone. Neighbor Sonja Horrell called Child Protective Services (CPS) when she saw Tomahawk Hendren outside his California home without his mom.

“We have a CPS (Child Protective Service) case now, and every time he’s not in my visual sight we’re in violation,” Sonya Hendren told the media when stating that she has been fighting the child endangerment charges, which have now been dropped to misdemeanors, for several months. Hendren reportedly takes great pride in being a mother and supports the “free range” parenting style.

Sonya Hendren defends her decision to let 4-year-old play 120ft away from her. She faces child endangerment charges https://t.co/UwaEnK15Mv

— FOX & Friends (@foxandfriends) December 1, 2015

Sonja Horrell said that she and her daughter were worried when they saw Tomahawk Hendren playing outdoors all by himself and decided to call CPS. Horrell claims that she did not mean the Hendren family any harm.

“I thought she would just get a warning … and she wouldn’t let them be out alone again,” Horrell added. “How would she feel if he was on an AMBER Alert? Then what would she be feeling?”

“I’m not mad that she has to do things now to teach her because what if somebody did take him away,” the neighbor’s daughter, Brandi, told the media.

Sonya Henden’s attorney, Alin Cintean, maintains that the prosecuting attorney has to prove that the mother willfully placed her son in danger in order to convict her of the charges.

“If this happened 20 years ago, we wouldn’t be here. There wouldn’t be a criminal case filed,” the attorney added.

Hendron thinks she’s being criticized for her “free-range” parenting style. She prides herself for being Tomahawk’s mother.

Sonya Hendren defends her decision to let 4-year-old play 120ft away from her. She faces child endangerment charges https://t.co/UwaEnK15Mv

— FOX & Friends (@foxandfriends) December 1, 2015

“I breast fed for 28 months. I cloth diapered and, you know, obviously avoided helicopter parenting. I’m doing everything,” Hendren stated during an emotional media appearance.

Sonya and Tomahawk live in a gated apartment complex in Sacramento, Examiner reports. The free range parenting mom said she feels that when her son wants some alone time, the apartment complex playground is a safe place to go, and she can see him from the front door.

“I lover her like twenty times. Maybe a thousand,” Tomahawk said.

The day that the neighbor called Child Protective Services, the 4-year-old boy was indicating that he wanted to go outside alone and play, according to his mother. Sonya said Tomahawk Hendren would occasionally go outside and play and then return every few moments to let his mom know that he was alright.

Brandi and Sonja Horrell told CPS that they saw the little boy playing unattended outside for about 15 to 20 minutes, Fox News Channel 43 reports. The women approached him, chatted, and then asked him to go home. Tomahawk reportedly said that he was not yet ready to stop playing. The neighbors ultimately walked back into their apartment and called the local authorities.

If Sonya Hendren is found guilty on the child endangerment and child neglect charges, she could spend six months behind bars and be placed on probation for three years. Sonya was reportedly offered a plea deal of 30 days in jail and 1 year of probation, but turned it down.

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