I made this post on Facebook and I was overwhelmed with support and love. It was never my intention to ask for financial assistance, but so many people asked me how they can help, and encouraged me to make this. Everything will be used to go towards my late bills, with anything left over going straight to my lawyer. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart. It means so much to have support.

I've made allusions to some trauma that happened last year. It completely changed who I am as a person, a mom, a wife and a friend. Ive struggled so much with this, working on things in therapy and journaling. I've lived in absolute terror and shame that every one I meet either knows this or will find out. That alone is exhausting and has had such a damaging effect on my mental health. 

I was arrested in front of my children on Friday, September 13, 2024. 

At a spirit night skate party, a large group of young adults and teens were knocking elementary kids down and causing injuries like gashed heads. A couple parents and I tried to get management to help, to no luck. 

As the conversation with management went on, I was circled by the group and was in the middle of chaos. 

One person repeatedly told me he was a grown man and would "wreck me". One kid, a blond with all black on, just stood in front of me grinning and never breaking eye contact. It was unsettling. 

I was able to get out of the circle and the parents all went back to our table to watch the kids more carefully since no one would help. 

The uncle of the guy who was going to "wreck me" came up and started trying to be all "kids will be kids". He kept trying to engage me and in retrospect, it was because he was stalling to keep me there. 

The kid in all black positioned himself in my line of vision no matter where I moved and just stared. They sent a friend of theirs to our table to ask for my phone number because I was "beautiful". These were not people who were scared of me in any way. They were very much the opposite of scared. 

As I left with Victor and the kids, I was arrested. The one who wanted to "wreck me" called the cops and said I told him I would k*** him. His friends corroborated and management told them that myself and other parents instigated the incident (turns out they are a group of weekly regulars). I was told that there is a video. If there is, I truly have no recollection of this and can only think it was due to sheer adrenaline and fear, because I was surrounded by people in my face with my back against a wall. The cops refused to speak to any parents who could corroborate my side, and there were multiple. My lawyer has still not been given a copy of the video, and tells me she hasn't been provided any insight as to when she would receive a copy to use in my defense preparation.

I was arrested on ***2 felony charges of terroristic acts and threats and disorderly conduct*** and taken to Coweta County jail where I was strip searched, given a mat and a blanket and slept on the floor of a cell. They had no cup or spoon for me, so I was unable to eat or drink for 13 hours. 

I still have nightmares and it was only one night. 

They cuffed me in front of my kids. Livvy hit her knees in front of me and they wouldn't tell her I was okay. That's all I asked the female officer to do. She said that my husband could handle that. She still talks about it to me sometimes and it shatters me every time. 

I sat sobbing in the back of a cruiser for almost an hour, while I watched them perform skate tricks for the cops who arrested me. They were all laughing and cutting up. It was downright jovial.

I've hired a really good attorney. They are confident with the character and witness statements that I have, that we can ask for the charges to be dropped and sealed. But there is always a chance a judge or DA thinks that I am a real threat. It's costing me around $8000 in fees for my defense attorney. Thankfully, my mom was able to bail me out and help me pay a down payment on my legal fees. Otherwise we would be completely lost. 

This set off a rapid cycle of mania and I completely derailed. I'm paranoid that people are talking about me. That they think I am a dangerous person or "crazy". I worry about how it will effect my kids with peers who's parents know. I hate going to school events now because I just feel like I'm under a microscope. 

Someone took a screenshot of my mug shot and showed it to my 90 year old grandfather. (He already knew, but that was done sheerly to try and humiliate me for no reason). I've lived with my heart in my throat wondering who else took a screenshot of my most vulnerable and traumatic moment. The mug shot comes immediately after they strip search you. You have time to put your shirt back on, but not your underwear. 

I worry that this will be on a background check for a new job. That it will prevent me from being able to properly provide for my family because a company will not hire a liability risk or someone who is a threat to their children's safety. I'm a girl scout leader. I'm not dangerous to children. Or anyone, to be frank. I'm all bark and very little bite. Always have been. I don't want my kids to lose friends because of this. I'm terrified to talk to parents I don't know in the fear that they know who I am and what happened. 

I worry about how this affects the kids long term. How it does Victor. He saw me get arrested and that was traumatic for him, too. 

And lately I really worry about me and my mental health. This has set us back financially in a way I've not recovered from. I can't catch up. Everything is late and it just keeps getting later. And it's not like life just stops happening when you're broke. I worry about our money every single day. And I worry about this every single day. I wake up thinking about it. It's been almost 9 months and my lawyer has heard NOTHING. Not one word from Coweta County. 

This has taken a happy mom and wife away from my family. It's given my friends a person who is withdrawn and sometimes secretive. I worry every day about what would this person or that person, think about me once they find this out? *I* know that jail or criminal records are not indicative of people being bad or damaged or dangerous. But so many people don't. They hear something and demonize it out the gate. 

I guess all of this is to say, I can't keep pretending this didn't happen. Worrying about this every single day in every single interaction is so exhausting and I'm so sick of my body just vibrating all the time. I need a sage stick large enough to sage my entire world. So, anyway. That's what's been going on. It's just kinda broken me, so please just be kind to folks. Life isn't easy for a lot of folks. 

So this is it. It's out there and I'm placing it there to the hands of people I care about. i just don't want to be scared and ashamed anymore