Trigger Warning: This article mentions details about child neglect.
A Georgia resident, a mother, has been arrested after allegedly abandoning her special needs child and leaving him unsupervised for three days. Kathleen Swanton, from LaGrange, Georgia, reportedly left her home on July 25 with two of her children, leaving the third child behind. She was arrested on July 30.
Authorities located Swanton through the Bartow County Sheriff’s Office. She is now in custody and awaiting transfer to the Troup County Jail. Reportedly, officers visited Sunset Street on July 28, 2025, at 5:40 pm after a request for a child welfare check was made. Upon arrival, they found that Kathleen Swanton, also known as Kathy Swanton, had taken two of her children and left a third child—who had serious special needs—behind on Friday.
As per The Mirror, the child was found on Monday only after someone raised concerns about their well-being. A neighbor told 11Alive’s Joe Ripley that several people living in the home had special needs. She is facing several charges, including first-degree cruelty to children under the Family Violence Act, abandonment, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and three counts of false imprisonment.
Meanwhile, Swanton, who went missing, as the police found with her unsupervised child alone, was found during a search that ended with her arrest in Bartow County. She is currently awaiting extradition to Troup County Jail as the investigation is ongoing.
Many details, such as whether food and water were provided to the child or not, the living conditions he was exposed to, and many other such information related to his well-being, remain unknown at the time of writing.
LaGrange police have issued arrest warrants for Kathleen Swanton, who allegedly locked her special-needs child in a bedroom and abandoned the child for several days. https://t.co/MHfCDqxyAh
— FOX 5 Atlanta (@FOX5Atlanta) July 30, 2025
This sad case follows a string of high-profile child abuse incidents in Georgia, including a recent case involving a fire chief and his wife who allegedly starved their adopted son until he weighed just 55 pounds. Darrick and Angela Mittlestadt were both charged with aggravated child abuse and reports of alleged mistreatment.
The couple straved the small kid because of the way that he “behaved.” and was only given a protein shake and crackers and his bedroom door was blockaded for roughly two years.”I’m only allowed to eat one meal a day since there’s no point in giving me food,” the teen reportedly told a police officer, per the affidavit. ( via Law&Crime).
⚠️ WARNING: This post contains graphic descriptions of child abuse.
Laramie County Fire District No. 1 Chief Darrick Mittlestadt and his wife, Angela Mittlestadt, have been charged with aggravated child abuse and conspiracy for allegedly starving & abusing their 13-year-old… pic.twitter.com/hDjW8396hL
— True Crime Updates (@TrueCrimeUpdat) July 30, 2025
He became super skinny, and the doctors revealed that the malnutrition was not recent since it had affected his overall development. At the same time, he was taken to Colorado Children’s Hospital for medical treatment. Even though the couple admitted their mistakes, with Darrick saying, “I failed everyone, because I didn’t do my job,”
View this post on Instagram
Meanwhile, in 2023, Georgia received reports involving approximately 100,000 children, and 11,435 of these cases were confirmed as abuse or neglect. It’s pretty sad that even after years of development and encouragement, child mistreatment remains a serious concern.( via PCA Georgia).
View this post on Instagram
Prevention strategies must address poverty, access to resources, education, and family support. Public awareness also plays a significant role, and thanks to the relevance of social media, such cases have come to light.
