JONESBORO, Ark. — A mother accused of chasing her boyfriend’s SUV with her 6-year-old child unrestrained in the passenger seat told police she had caught him having an affair, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Liliana Araseli Avendano faces a charge of first-degree endangering the welfare of a minor, a Class D felony. Court records also list charges of reckless driving, following too closely and a child passenger restraint violation.
Officers saw a white minivan pursuing a black SUV at high speed on Nettleton around 2:30 a.m. Sept. 19, according to the affidavit. They reported hearing the minivan’s horn blaring and seeing it follow just a few feet behind the SUV’s rear bumper.
Officers caught up with the minivan and stopped it on Kitchen Street. They identified Avendano as the driver and found her child unrestrained in the passenger seat, the affidavit states.
The child, who was crying, told officers an argument between Avendano and her boyfriend preceded the chase. The child said Avendano refused a request to slow down, according to the affidavit.
When officers asked why she was driving recklessly, Avendano said she had just caught her boyfriend having an affair at a nearby gas station, the affidavit states.
Judge David Boling set Avendano’s bond at $2,500 cash or surety on Sept. 21. The court imposed a no-contact condition involving her boyfriend. The order does not prohibit contact with her child.
Avendano’s next court appearance is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Nov. 23 at the Craighead County Courthouse, according to her first-appearance paperwork.
All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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