Single Mom's Car is Repossessed With Her Newborn Inside - One Lawyer Takes Her Side

A Mom's Car is Repossessed With Her Infant Inside

Sabriya thought it would just be a quick in-and-out. "I am a good mom. I was dropping my son off into daycare," she toldWFIE.

"It was two seconds."

However, those two seconds quickly turned into several minutes of terror when a repo agent seized the opportunity to repossess her 2004 Chevy Cavalier. And while he got the car, what he didn't count on was the added bonus of an infant.

Believing her daughter was being kidnapped, Sabriya, along with another mom, frantically chased the car down the street. But to no avail. Sobbing, she called the police. They immediately put out an APB of a possible kidnapping in progress.

“I couldn’t talk,” said Sabriya. “I was just too frustrated, and I was crying. I carried my baby for nine months and now I lost her?”

Thankfully, it didn't take long for the repo agent to realize there was a child in the vehicle. He also called the police and Sabriya and her daughter, Adrian, were reunited.

And while the mother-daughter duo are back together again, Sabriya and her vehicle are not. Despite claiming that she had no warning that her car was going to be repossessed, the car dealership is holding onto it, along with her children’s car seats and her cellphone.

A Stranger's Response

After the news aired, many people ridiculed her on social media for making the mistake of leaving her newborn in the running car.

On one Reddit thread, a commenter wrote, "I’m a parent and it’s a pain but you don’t leave your kid in the car. She absolutely should be facing charges."

Another agreed, "Pretty sure leaving your child in a car that's running doesn't make you a good parent either."

"Hopefully jail time," wrote a third.

And when a local lawyer and daycare owner, Tanisha Carothers, heard Sabriya's story she also decided to throw her towel in the ring. But instead of beating her down, she decided to lift her up.

Tanisha was so moved by the single mom's story she started a GoFundMe campaign to raise money to help her get back on her feet.

"She is a single mother of two whose car was repossessed while dropping her eldest son, 4 years old, off to daycare," She wrote on the page. "Her 7-day-old baby was in the car when the car salesman did a bootleg repossession by jumping in the car and speeding off with her newborn in the back seat from the childcare."

Instead of focusing on Sabriya's mistake, she chose to "focus on highlighting the need for humanity and empathy," pointing out the fact that the young mom "doesn't have adequate support so she had to juggle her toddler and infant by herself."

She also reminded people, "We have all made mistakes and had to learn tough lessons. Let's support her through it."

Within days, the campaign more than doubled its goal of $6,000, garnering 379 donations totaling $12,170 before being disabled.

The money will be used to purchase a "reliable vehicle to transport children and find employment" and to replace the car seats and other items in the car per the GoFundMe.

The Power of Community Support

While people online were quick to crucify Sabriya consider this first – the local police have said she did nothing wrong and no charges have been filed against anyone in this incident.

And not everyone was rushing to judgment. Some, like Tanisha, acknowledged just how messed up a system is that so blatantly punishes a struggling single mother.

"This is [messed] up on so, so many levels," one Redditor wrote. "Like my god... there has to be some exceptions made for this stuff. Like they obviously need that car."

"I'm still skeptical whether or not repossessing a sedan an impoverished single mother needs to get to work is the answer," another wrote. "Certainly won't help her get her debts paid."

Thankfully, she has the incredible kindness of a stranger for that.

By choosing empathy Tanisha was able to rally the troops and make a real difference in the lives of the young mom and her children. It just goes to show the power of humanity and community support.

“With the right resources with the right community support, we have the ability to completely change the trajectory of a a family’s life."

- Tanisha Carothers