By Shavonne Walker
shavonne.walker@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — A Salisbury woman with a history of child abuse and drunken driving convictions has been charged with child abuse after her 13-year-old autistic son was found wandering in the road.

April Olivia Lomax, 36, of the 1000 block of Coley Road, was charged with two counts of misdemeanor child abuse. She was arrested Wednesday and has since been released under a $5,000 secured bond.

A Rowan County Sheriff’s Office deputy was flagged down by someone who saw a young boy with no pants darting onto Stone Road, a report said. The person said the child had almost been hit by vehicles twice. The child was running in 40-degree rainy weather, the deputy noted.

The deputy found the boy on Stone Road. When he tried to approach him, boy ran to the Coley Road home.

As the deputy arrived, he said he saw another young child run into the house from a nearby barn.

The deputy met Lomax at the door and she appeared to be intoxicated, he reported. She had slurred speech and was unsteady on her feet, the deputy said.

The deputy asked if there was a sober adult who could watch the children; Lomax said she was not intoxicated and that she could take care of them. Lomax told the deputy her fiance’s father lived next door.

The father told the deputy that Lomax has a drinking problem, and he agreed to watch the children until his son returned home.

The deputy returned to Lomax’s home, but she was not in sight. He eventually found her in the garage, along with a bottle of wine.

Lomax was convicted in April 2017 of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. She was convicted in December 2016 of misdemeanor larceny.

In August 2014, Lomax was charged with misdemeanor child abuse after she contacted authorities about a larceny. When officers arrived at her home to discuss the report, they reported that Lomax was “very intoxicated.” She never mentioned the larceny and told the officer that her children needed to calm down and have a timeout.

In March 2011, police charged Lomax after she wrecked her car with her children inside. Police said in that accident, Lomax was intoxicated.

She was convicted in September 2012 of six counts of driving while license revoked in incidents that spanned March 2010 to March 2011. She was also convicted in September 2012 of three driving while impaired offenses that stemmed from charges in July 2010, December 2010 and March 2011.

Lomax was convicted of DWI in February 2012. In February 2012, she was convicted of misdemeanor child abuse, driving while license revoked, DWI, driving on the wrong side of the road, and giving fictitious information to law enforcement officer, for incidents from July 2010 to March 2011.