Chris Louis, the Augusta father who gained national sympathy after claiming he left his children at a local McDonald’s to attend a job interview, has had all criminal charges against him dismissed, according to court records.
State Court Solicitor Omeeka Loggins formally dropped three misdemeanor child neglect charges against Louis on Dec. 9, with the case marked “Nolle Prosequi – Restrict,” meaning prosecutors declined to continue pursuing the case and the court ordered the record restricted from public access.
Donors contributed more than $50,000 to a GoFundMe organized by former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown on Louis’ behalf, but the money was later refunded after Brown said he could not verify the case or reach him. Louis’ claim of attending a job interview were later proven to be false by Richmond County authorities.
This month’s dismissal was entered under Judge Robert W. Hunter III, who presided over the case. Louis had been charged with three counts of “causing a child to be a child in need of services,” stemming from a March 22 incident in which authorities said he left his three children — ages 10, 6, and 1 — unattended at a McDonald’s restaurant on Washington Road.
The arrest followed a 911 call from a customer who reported the children were alone inside the restaurant. Richmond County deputies later arrested Louis after he returned to pick them up. At the time, Louis told investigators he believed McDonald’s was a safe place to leave his children briefly while he attended to errands nearby and had earlier been searching for work.
The case quickly went viral after The Augusta Press first reported the arrest, drawing widespread public sympathy and reigniting national conversations about poverty, childcare access, and how the criminal justice system treats low-income parents. Major national outlets, including People.com and Yahoo, later covered the story.
In April, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office released a detailed investigative report disputing claims that Louis was attending a job interview at the time his children were left at the restaurant. Investigators cited witness statements, surveillance footage, and timelines indicating the children were alone for approximately an hour and a half.
Despite those findings, court records show the case did not proceed to trial. Louis, represented by public defender Rahmaan Bowick, requested a jury trial in May, and prosecutors issued a subpoena as recently as November. Weeks later, the charges were dismissed without further explanation provided in the public docket.
Because the case has been record restricted, it will no longer appear in most public background checks, though it remains accessible to law enforcement and the courts. The dismissal does not constitute a conviction, and Louis has no criminal judgment stemming from the incident.
Louis’ arrest had previously prompted a wave of financial support after a GoFundMe campaign shared by former NFL player Antonio Brown raised more than $50,000 to assist him and his family.
“A dad just trying to find a way to make money for his family,” Brown wrote in April. “I know he shouldn’t just leave his kids, but some people don’t have the means for babysitting, etc.”
But in May, the NFL great updated the fundraiser, saying donations would be refunded since he was unable to make contact with Louis or verify the full details of the case.
Neither the solicitor’s office nor Louis’ attorney has publicly commented on the reason for the dismissal.
