Arkansas Mother Arrested After Admitting She Lied About Father Leaving Infant Outside for 30 Minutes, Police Say
JONESBORO, ARKANSAS — A 27-year-old Arkansas mother has been arrested after authorities say she fabricated a story accusing her child’s father of leaving their infant outside alone in a car seat for nearly half an hour. Investigators now believe the child was never in danger and was actually retrieved immediately after being dropped off.
According to the Jonesboro Police Department, Lyrica Maisha Noble has been charged with filing a false report, a felony under Arkansas law. The false allegation initially led to the arrest of the child’s father, Larry Donell Lee, 27, on child endangerment charges earlier this month.
Father Allegedly Dropped Off Infant During Argument
The incident occurred on Nov. 6 outside a home on Churchill Drive in Jonesboro. According to a probable cause affidavit, Lee had been caring for the infant while Noble ran errands. When the pair began arguing, Lee told Noble he was bringing the child back home. Noble claimed she was not there — but Lee reportedly did not believe her.
Lee then left the infant in a car seat on the home’s front porch.
Noble later told police that when she arrived home, she found the child outside alone and believed he had been left for approximately 30 minutes.
Mother Changes Her Story, Says She Was Home the Entire Time
Two days after her original report, Noble significantly altered her account.
According to an affidavit cited by NEA Report, Noble admitted she had been home the entire time Lee attempted to contact her. She also acknowledged she retrieved the infant from outside immediately after Lee dropped him off.
This admission confirmed that the central claim — that the baby had been left unattended for half an hour — was false.
Authorities say the fabricated report directly resulted in a felony warrant for Lee and his arrest for child endangerment, charges now considered unfounded.
Police Say False Report Triggered Wrongful Arrest
Investigators noted that Noble’s initial statements suggested the infant was found with vomit on him and had been left outside long enough to raise safety concerns. Her later confession dismantled that narrative completely.
Following her admission, Noble was arrested and booked into the Craighead County Detention Center, though she no longer appears on the jail roster. She is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 23, according to court records.
Authorities have not commented on whether the father’s prior charges will be formally dismissed but suggested the case now hinges entirely on Noble’s false statements.
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