Jessica Hufton, 36, of Aiken was booked Aug. 2 in Aiken County on five counts of unlawful neglect of a child or helpless person after North Augusta officers said five children were riding unsecured in her SUV during an Aug. 2 stop on West Martintown Road. Officers also reported that a 5-year-old girl evaluated by EMS showed signs that she may have been under the influence of a narcotic.
North Augusta Public Safety said an 11-year-old girl in the vehicle told officers that Hufton and a 41-year-old Augusta man had smoked synthetic marijuana inside the SUV. The girl also told officers the children, ages 1 to 11, had not eaten since early that morning, and officers said the children were neither wearing seat belts nor in car seats.
According to officers, Hufton said she had thrown the car seats away and denied drinking or using drugs. A man who was with her told officers Hufton had been driving "crazy" and made her pull over, while Hufton said he suffers from a traumatic brain injury and was having an episode.
Officers said they found a balled-up lottery ticket in Hufton's pocket containing shake and small traces of marijuana. Klingel's parents later took custody of the children.
The child-neglect case is separate from a July case in Aiken in which Hufton was accused of striking her daughter inside a vehicle at a McDonald's, according to authorities.
