Local Mom Arrested for Not Picking Up Child from the Bus

A local woman with a couple of run-ins with the law is in trouble again after not being at the bus stop to pick up her child after school, according to police.

Denise Ann Wescott, 34, of Concord, was arrested at 5:45 p.m. on April 10, and charged with possession of controlled drugs and endangering the welfare of a child/incompetent.

According to an arrest report, police were called to a Fisherville Road apartment building for a report that Wescott had not arrived to get her child off the bus, with dispatchers advising that this has happened in the past and was a recurring problem.

The bus driver had been waiting more than 30 minutes and no one had been able to reach her by phone.

A neighbor reported to the bus driver that they had seen Wescott earlier allegedly “stumbling from the residence some time ago.”

The officer spoke with the bus driver and bus monitor about the situation and saw the child sitting in the front seat behind the driver. The officer took custody of the child and had the bus employees fill out statements. The officer then took the child home. 

On the way, the officer ran into a neighbor who stated that she hadn’t seen Wescott since that morning. A few minutes later, another neighbor stated that she had reportedly fallen down in the mud and needed to change her pants and thought she’d be right back but didn’t return.

Later, the woman’s husband was smoking a cigarette and reportedly saw Wescott earlier in the day hitchhiking near the Cumberland Farms. The man asked her about picking up her child, “but she just kept walking,” according to the report.

The officer and child went to the apartment and the child recognized Wescott’s boots and said that mommy must be here. There was another set of boots near the door and the officer became concerned and began knocking on the door. No one answered but the door was unlocked, so the officer announced herself and entered into the apartment.

“In looking into the bedroom, I observed Wescott curled up in the fetal position on the bed,” the officer wrote.

Later, the officer attempted to wake her up but she didn’t respond. After about two minutes, she woke up “completely disoriented.”

Wescott, the officer alleged, wouldn’t answer questions and was shaking, and was asked if she had been consuming drugs or alcohol. She allegedly denied that she had but a consent search of her purse allegedly yielded a bag of marijuana.

Another officer arrived and Wescott was arrested.

“Wescott started to plead and beg that I not arrest her and what would happen with (her child),” the officer reported.

Wescott was asked to make arrangements for a family member to come to the apartment but instead, allegedly became upset and emotional, crying and screaming about her child.

She later made a phone call to the child’s father and was warned to make arrangements, not to yell on the phone. But Wescott allegedly started yelling at the father and the officer tried to jump in to stop the fighting. Wescott allegedly pulled away from the officer twice and then, was put in handcuffs.

The child endangerment charge was later added. 

Previously, Wescott was arrested during a home burglary incident on Union Street last year. She was arrested for simple assault last summer. 

Editor’s note: The following story was derived from information supplied by the Concord Police Department. It does not indicate a conviction.