Mississippi mother left infant son freezing in Walmart parking lot, faces child neglect charges

BYRAM, MISSISSIPPI: A Mississippi mother was arrested on child neglect charges last week after police found her toddler son shivering due to the extreme cold in a Walmart parking lot.

26-year-old Kambria Gabrielle Darby had confronted shoppers inside the Walmart in Byram, Mississippi earlier that morning after they expressed concern about her inappropriately dressed son, as reported by New York Post.

Kambria Darby was confronted by shoppers about her son's lack of clothing

The incident started around 10:30 AM on January 17 when Darby entered the Walmart with her toddler son, who was wearing only a diaper despite the frigid 20-degree weather outside. Surveillance footage shows Darby, who was appropriately dressed for the cold, placing her shaking, underdressed son into a shopping cart before making her way around the store.

Several shoppers confronted Darby about her son's lack of clothing, including one man who demanded to know "What's wrong with you?" as Darby tossed a bag of frozen vegetables at the visibly cold toddler.

Darby responded rudely, telling the man to "Lower your voice, who are you?" before turning around to deliver a vulgar rant, even pausing to twerk briefly for the camera recording her.

Kambria Darby arrested at Walmart on child neglect charges by police

When police arrived and found Darby in the parking lot, her son had been dressed by compassionate shoppers using clothes from the store. However, the toddler was still shaking and cold according to officers on the scene. Darby was promptly arrested on child neglect charges.

EMS crews were called to check on the toddler before Child Protective Services arrived to take custody of the boy. He was later released to an approved relative while Darby was let out on bond with conditions set by the Hinds County Youth Court.

The confrontation and Darby's subsequent arrest were caught on video and quickly went viral online after being posted by a Walmart employee named Felicia Darling.

Darling, who was fired by Walmart for posting the video, told local media she began recording when she witnessed Darby put the nearly naked, shivering toddler into a freezing shopping cart despite being dressed warmly herself.

After being released from jail, Darby took to social media to defend her actions - comparing her treatment to Jesus and claiming she hasn't seen her children since they were taken by CPS.

"I have pics of every meal I’ve cooked them' as proof of her parenting fitness," Darby wrote in a 656-word Facebook post. "This deformation (sic) of character is hurting my heart."

She went on to say, "They did Jesus the same way, he felt sick to his stomach as well; he didn't want to go through it."

Darby, a mother of three, said she hasn't seen her kids since the incident and claimed she hasn't had a decent meal herself.

Internet reacts with criticism to news of the viral Walmart incident

The viral incident sparked a wave of criticism directed not only at Darby but also at Walmart. One X user remarked, "Shame on the mother. Shame on @Walmart. Thank you to those who helped the child!"

Another user took a dig at Walmart, stating, "I didn’t think @Walmart could get any more trashy, but they keep lowering the bar. Quit shopping at these landfill box stores."

A third user raised concerns about parenting capabilities, stating, "People like this should not be allowed to produce more children if they cannot take proper care of the ones they have now. They always want to make excuses for their actions. The employee who lost their job for filing this may have saved these children."

Another individual emphasized the importance of speaking up, stating, "See something say something. This lady should sue Walmart for firing her, and this mother should rot in prison." A fifth user asserted, "She deserves to be arrested. If you can't take care of your child, then you shouldn't get to keep your child!"

In a similar vein, a sixth user commented, "Some people should never have children, she is one of them."

 

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.