GASTONIA, N.C.-- A 17-month-old is in the custody of DSS after she was found inside a disabled car on Interstate 85 near mile marker 16 early Sunday.
Police say when they found the baby, there was no sign of the mother.
Jessica Perry, 29, says she ran out of gas and left to find a gas station. When she returned she was arrested and charged with DWI.
Perry is from Simpsonville, South Carolina.
Perry's neighbor Matt Dennis said,"Just hearing something like that is pretty awful."
Other neighbors, who asked to remain anonymous, say the news of Perry's arrest is sad and shocking.
"That's pretty bad, you know. She needs to get her stuff together," said Dennis.
Perry faces a charge of driving while under the influence and driving with a revoked license.
Perry's mother, Linda Simpson, says Ava is doing alright. "She's in child protective, in a foster home," said Simpson.
When asked if Perry has ever done anything like this before, Simpson would only say no.
Simpson says she's not sure where Perry was going, but would only say, "That is very wrong. She's a great mother."
This is not Perry's first DWI charge. She has another charge in Charlotte from just last week on February 5.
