Police: Mom Arrested for Sending Three-Year-Old to Daycare Alone in Lyft

A mom in New Hampshire was arrested recently for allegedly sending her three-year-old alone in a Lyft ride to daycare.

“Stephanie Goddu, 35, of Manchester, barricaded herself in her home before surrendering to officers Friday, two days after police were notified that two of her kids had not been picked up from daycare,” the New York Post reported.

When officers arrived at her home to investigate prior to her arrest, police said Goddu appeared “incoherent and disoriented.”

The Manchester NH Police detailed the events in a Facebook post on Friday and said it was also informed the woman had a three-month-old infant:

The baby was found to be strapped to an infant carrier seat, and was wearing extremely warm clothing and a blanket. The carrier was not more than 6 feet away from a heater and there was concern that the child could overheat. The child was also found to be covered in urine.

Through their investigation, police also learned that on January 4, 2021 Goddu had hired a Lyft driver to take her 3 y/o old child to daycare. The child arrived safely, but was alone in the vehicle.

“Both the condition of the infant and the unsupervised ride to day care were cause for police to charge Goddu,” the post read, adding that she was charged with endangering the welfare of a child and resisting arrest.

According to safety policies on the Lyft website, “Unaccompanied minors are prohibited from traveling with most carriers, including TNCs.”

“A passenger must be 18 to sign up for a Lyft account, but if a driver believes a passenger might be underage, the driver may ask the passenger to confirm their age,” it continued.

Drivers may also tell a passenger they must cancel the trip if the passenger is under 18 years of age. Drivers may also report requests to transport unaccompanied minors to the company.