When a Georgia father was arrested after allegedly leaving his young children unattended at a McDonald’s, he received a swell of support online after he told deputies he had been at a job interview. But now, police say he wasn’t at a job interview after all.
Chris Louis, 24, was arrested in Augusta, Ga., on March 22 after his kids, aged 10, 6 and 1, were at the McDonald’s for over an hour, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office said.
Louis was charged with deprivation of a minor, a misdemeanor.
As reports of his arrest circulated, support for Louis grew, with many online arguing that he had been trying to support his children by going to the job interview.
Former NFL star Antonio Brown started a GoFundMe on Louis’ behalf, which so far has raised over $78,000.
“Story caught me by surprise,” Brown wrote. “A dad just trying to find a way to make money for his family. I know he shouldn’t just leave his kids, but some people don’t have the means for babysitting, etc. This GoFundMe is set in place to help this man.”
But in a police report obtained by PEOPLE, authorities now say Louis was not at a job interview while his kids were at the McDonald’s. Rather, authorities say, Louis had applied for a job earlier that day.
Police spoke to the eldest of Louis’ children following the incident.
“A 10-year-old child, stated that she, her father (Chris Louis), and her two siblings had walked to McDonald’s from [an apartment complex],” police said in the report. “She further stated that her father left to deliver a backpack to [the apartment complex] and told her he would return shortly. The child also mentioned that her father frequently left them alone.”
Police also went to the nearby inn where Louis said he had applied for a job.
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“[The inn manager] confirmed that Mr. Louis came in on March 22, 2025, and completed a job application,” police said. “She also conducted an informal interview with him on that date. When asked if Mr. Louis would be expecting a callback for a formal interview, she stated no.”
Police claim that security footage showed Louis leaving the inn hours before his children were ultimately found at the McDonald’s that afternoon.
“Based on the video evidence and the timeline provided by all parties involved, it was determined that Mr. Louis was not engaged in a job interview or application process during the time the children were left unattended,” the sheriff’s office reportedly said. “Furthermore, by his own admission, he was walking between McDonald’s and [an apartment complex] on foot during that period.”
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