Dakota Valkyrie
August 4th, 2010, 01:25 PM
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A man and his son were in jail Wednesday after being arrested for abandoning a 19-month-old girl inside a filthy home.
Salt Lake County Jail records show that Michael William Vestal, 49, who is believed to possibly be the child’s grandfather, and Ryan William Vestal, 25, believed to be the girl’s father, were taken into custody Monday.
[...]
The elder Vestal was booked on suspicion of felony endangerment of a child and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia, while his son also faced a count of felony child endangerment and a misdemeanor charge of criminal mischief.
Police were called to the Vestal home by a concerned neighbor who noticed the child — described as being found in an environment that included maggot-ridden food scraps, empty beer cans and a suspected marijuana pipe on the floor — was home alone.
A probable cause statement noted that the child “was covered with what looked to be fecal matter,” and that she also had “a strong odor of beer on her breath and clothes.”
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/50050219-76/vestal-child-girl-son.html.csp
It's still unclear what happened, but police say the 19-month-old girl's mother took her to a party of family and friends at an apartment complex on the 600 block of Park Street (540 East) around 5 p.m.
At some point in the evening, the child was passed on to a 25-year-old man and his 49-year-old father during a barbecue outside the apartment.
[...]
"It is unclear what the relationship is between the child and the two men, whether one of them is the mother's ex-husband, or father of the child," McGowan said.
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Family and friends, including the mother, had been drinking at the party. The toddler was turned over to sober family members, McGowan said.
The mother was not arrested, but police say the investigation is ongoing.
"It's certainly something none of us want to be called to," he said. "Hopefully all these parties will learn from this incident."http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700053416/Toddler-left-alone-in-Salt-Lake-apartment-police-say.html
A man and his son were in jail Wednesday after being arrested for abandoning a 19-month-old girl inside a filthy home.
Salt Lake County Jail records show that Michael William Vestal, 49, who is believed to possibly be the child’s grandfather, and Ryan William Vestal, 25, believed to be the girl’s father, were taken into custody Monday.
[...]
The elder Vestal was booked on suspicion of felony endangerment of a child and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia, while his son also faced a count of felony child endangerment and a misdemeanor charge of criminal mischief.
Police were called to the Vestal home by a concerned neighbor who noticed the child — described as being found in an environment that included maggot-ridden food scraps, empty beer cans and a suspected marijuana pipe on the floor — was home alone.
A probable cause statement noted that the child “was covered with what looked to be fecal matter,” and that she also had “a strong odor of beer on her breath and clothes.”
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/50050219-76/vestal-child-girl-son.html.csp
It's still unclear what happened, but police say the 19-month-old girl's mother took her to a party of family and friends at an apartment complex on the 600 block of Park Street (540 East) around 5 p.m.
At some point in the evening, the child was passed on to a 25-year-old man and his 49-year-old father during a barbecue outside the apartment.
[...]
"It is unclear what the relationship is between the child and the two men, whether one of them is the mother's ex-husband, or father of the child," McGowan said.
Story continues below
Family and friends, including the mother, had been drinking at the party. The toddler was turned over to sober family members, McGowan said.
The mother was not arrested, but police say the investigation is ongoing.
"It's certainly something none of us want to be called to," he said. "Hopefully all these parties will learn from this incident."http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700053416/Toddler-left-alone-in-Salt-Lake-apartment-police-say.html