Duncan police are investigating a case of child neglect, after a one-year-old child was found face down on the ground with no adults in sight.
The infant was discovered after police received an anonymous phone call claiming there had been a child screaming for at least ten minutes with no parental supervision. Once police responded to the call, they found the baby, unresponsive, and covered in mud.
After police picked the baby up, he came to. Police think he was suffering from heat exhaustion and dehydration. The baby is now doing well and in his grandparents' custody. Police say thanks to a concerned neighbor, the infant is alive and well.
"(He) had been in the backyard of a residence for several minutes, crying, screaming rather loudly," said Master Officer Christopher Perkins.
Perkins says he and another officer walked the alley, but did not hear the infant crying.
"He was laying, more or less, face down on the concrete in the backyard," said Perkins.
The baby was covered in dry mud and had a gash on his forehead. When police walked in the home, they found two more small children.
"They were confused. The other children weren't sure why we were there and why we were coming in," said Perkins.
Police found a man and woman asleep.
When they woke them, the couple said it was not their fault the baby was left alone.
"They were concerned that the six year old wasn't taking better care of the children."
Police say the house was a wreck, food was covered in mold, and there was barely room to walk. But what was a bigger concern was the temperature in the home.
"It was already nearing 100 degrees and it was close to that inside."
Police say there were air conditioning window units throughout the house, but the only one in use was in the bedroom the adults were sleeping in.
The man told police he could not be held responsible because he was on medication that made him tired.
When police asked the woman to get the children's clothes together,
she said they were not her kids and someone else would have to do it.
Police filed for an issuance of a warrant for the arrest of both adults. The DA is looking over the case. The children were taken from the home and were placed in their grandparents' custody.
Reply With Quote
that baby would have died without someone noticing something was wrong. THANK YOU kind neighbor!
Originally Posted by silvahalo68
Bookmarks