A North Dakota mother faces four felony charges after authorities say she drove toward a group of children following a dispute involving her son’s bicycle.
The charges stem from a Sept. 26 incident report that prompted a Nelson County deputy to respond to the Aneta neighborhood.
According to a declaration of probable cause, Nelson County District Court charged Ashley Jerome, 34, with four counts of reckless endangerment with extreme indifference. Authorities arrested and booked her into the Lake Region Law Enforcement Center before releasing her after she agreed to appear in court.
The incident began after children in the Aneta neighborhood allegedly took her son’s bicycle, hid it and later returned it as a prank, according to the court document.
Jerome appeared angry when she arrived in the area and began looking for the children. She allegedly drove toward the accused group at a high rate of speed and yelled at them, causing one child to run inside crying.
A witness described the alarming details of the encounter.
They told authorities that Jerome’s vehicle came speeding down the road with its high beams on as the children stood nearby. He said the vehicle swerved and stopped only a few feet from the group.
The witness then moved in front of the children, worried that the car would strike them. According to the Valley News Live, Jerome swerved around him.
He later grabbed the passenger-side window of the vehicle in an attempt to find out what was happening, but Jerome allegedly told him she did not want to talk before driving away.
The witness told deputies he believed Jerome’s vehicle was going to hit him.
Authorities said Jerome continued driving around the neighborhood for roughly 15 to 20 minutes.
Investigators later spoke with Jerome about what happened. She told deputies that she had been at work when her son came to her and said another child had taken his bike and threatened to beat him up.
Jerome explained that she left work and drove around looking for the children because she wanted to find out what had happened. She also told investigators that an adult had prevented her from speaking with the children.
Jerome disputed the witnesses’ descriptions of her speed.
While witnesses estimated that she had been traveling between 55 and 60 mph, Jerome told deputies she believed she was driving between 35 and 40 mph.
Jerome expressed remorse during her interaction with authorities. As reported by Law & Crime, she claimed she had become upset because she believed the children were bullying her son.
The court document does not indicate that Jerome hit any of the children with her vehicle. It instead details witness accounts that the vehicle came within several feet of them before Jerome ended up driving away.
Jerome’s account differs from portions of the witnesses’ statements, particularly regarding how fast she was driving. She acknowledged searching the neighborhood for the children but rejected the higher speed estimates given by witnesses.
Jerome was released after signing a promise to appear in court. She is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Nov. 13.
