Mother accused of leaving child in road facing felony charges

MADISON (AP) -- A Madison woman is facing felony charges for allegedly leaving her 2-year-old son in traffic as she beat her boyfriend.

A criminal complaint says 21-year-old Tawanna Rhynes followed her boyfriend across a busy road in Madison April 18 while holding her son. A witness told Madison Police vehicles were braking to avoid Rhynes and her child.

The complaint says Rhynes put the child down in a lane of traffic and started hitting and kicking her boyfriend, the child's father. An employee and customer from a nearby Walgreens saw the commotion and got the child out of traffic.

Rhynes is charged with reckless endangerment, child neglect and other counts. Police
say Rhynes and her boyfriend are expecting another child.

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