Georgia Mom Charged After Leaving 17-Year-Old Daughter Stranded on Dark Highway Without a Working Phone

A Georgia mother is facing a criminal charge after allegedly abandoning her 17-year-old daughter beside a busy highway late at night following an argument. The teenager was left alone in an unfamiliar area without money or a working cellphone, forcing her to run through the darkness toward a nearby McDonald’s to find help. What began as a family dispute quickly turned into a dangerous situation that required police intervention.

The incident happened around 11 p.m. on November 5, 2026, along Stone Mountain Highway in Gwinnett County. According to police, the teenager had been riding in a vehicle with her mother, 37-year-old Delishia Dunn, when the two got into an argument. During the confrontation, Dunn allegedly ordered her daughter out of the vehicle before driving away, leaving the girl stranded near the roadway.

With no active cellphone service and no money, the teenager could not make a regular emergency call. She was also unfamiliar with the surrounding neighborhood. Police said she ran across the busy highway in the dark until she reached a McDonald’s near East Park Place, where she managed to connect to the restaurant’s Wi-Fi and call 911.

Officers responding to the emergency found the teenager upset and alone. According to Gwinnett County police spokesperson Brock Marks, Dunn made no immediate effort to return, locate her daughter or resolve the situation. Investigators later contacted the mother by phone, and she reportedly acknowledged that she had left the teenager behind. Police eventually transported the girl home and placed her in the care of another relative.

Authorities subsequently charged Dunn with misdemeanor reckless conduct. A judge signed an arrest warrant shortly after midnight on November 6, but police said she had not yet been taken into custody when the report was published. No court date had been scheduled at that time.

The case has raised concerns about the risks children face when left alone near busy roads, especially late at night. Although the teenager managed to reach a safe location and contact emergency services, she was forced to navigate a dangerous highway without adult assistance. Investigators have not disclosed what started the argument, and the criminal case remains pending.

Source: https://lawandcrime.com/crime/teen-girl-stranded-by-her-mom-in-the-middle-of-a-highway-ran-in-the-dark-to-mcdonalds-to-call-911-police/