Mother Arrested After Child Found Wandering In The Street

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) — “I would never do anything to hurt my little girl, and I know everyone will probably think differently, but I wouldn’t do anything to hurt her,” says 23 year old, Kayce Peay. Kayce Peay fought back tears on Wednesday, after her 3 year old daughter was taken away and placed in the custody of the Department of Social Services. “It’s embarrassing and now I have to deal with not being able to see my child,” says Peay. Wednesday, Peay and a friend left a home on the 600 block of Tyler Street in the Rosewood Community, to go to the gas station to get cigarettes. The toddler was left home alone, a decision Kayce would later regret. “I should have just listened to my motherly instinct and never left,” says Peay. Columbia Police say around 9:00 a.m. Wednesday, a passerby found the child wandering aimlessly in the roadway and called police. “Officers quickly went door to door in this neighborhood trying to figure out where this baby came from and who she belonged to, trying to find a parent,” says Jennifer Timmons of the Columbia Police Department. Kayce returned to the home an hour later, only to realize her daughter wasn’t there. “My litte girl is my everything and I’m really sorry,” says Peay. While the child was found physically okay, police say that’s not the point. “Bottom line is, they left this toddler inside this home, unattended, and so that is of great concern to us,” says Timmons. “I’m not blaming it on anybody else, it’s my fault I’m a grown adult and I shouldn’t have made that decision. It just feels like a bad dream, and I want to wake up from it, really,” says Peay. Unfortunately, that’s not the case, this is reality. A bad situation leaving one young mother hoping for an opportunity to make it right. “I would give my life for my child, that’s the honest truth. I think everybody deserves a second chance,” says Peay. Kayce Peay will have a probable cause hearing on Monday to determine who will get custody of her daughter. We will continue to follow this story, bringing you more in the days ahead.