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Aunt filmed nieces, nephews hanging out of moving car, MI cops say. Now she’s arrested

The aunt was arrested and charged with child abuse, authorities say.
The aunt was arrested and charged with child abuse, authorities say. Getty Images/iStock photo

A woman has been arrested after she was accused of filming her nieces and nephews hanging out of a moving vehicle as she drove, according to Michigan police and news reports.

The woman, identified in news reports as a 23-year-old from Detroit, was arrested Monday, Feb. 19, following the Feb. 10 incident, court records show.

Authorities say the aunt allowed the victims — a 5-year-old, 9-year-old and two 10-year-olds — to hang their bodies outside the car windows as it appeared to be going in motion, according to MLive.com.

The aunt recorded the children with her phone, WWJ reported, citing the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office.

“Looking at it, I was fearful for the kids’ safety, number one, but it’s outrageous,” Detroit Police Chief James White told WJBK. “As you saw with one of the kids, it looked like the child was about to lose her balance in one of the turns. That just could’ve been disastrous.”

The aunt said in an interview with WJBK she is “remorseful” for the incident and has apologized to the children’s parents. She said she was driving 2 mph as she recorded the kids.

Court records show the aunt was charged with reckless driving and four counts of second-degree child abuse.

She was jailed on a $50,000 bond and was scheduled to be arraigned the morning of Tuesday, Feb. 20, according to the court records.

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Mike Stunson
Lexington Herald-Leader
Mike Stunson covers real-time news for McClatchy. He is a 2011 Western Kentucky University graduate who has previously worked at the Paducah Sun and Madisonville Messenger as a sports reporter and the Lexington Herald-Leader as a breaking news reporter. 
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