Toddler left home alone while parents go to New York, South Carolina cops say
A 2-year-old was found home alone in South Carolina while his parents were in New York, police say. Both parents have been arrested.
Charleston police officers said they found the toddler alone in his father’s apartment at about 2 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 17, WCIV reported. The boy’s parents, both 24 years old, were arrested on Monday and remain in custody. They were both charged with unlawful conduct toward a child.
The toddler was originally found by a manager at the apartment complex during “an emergency walk through” after they were unable to get in touch with the boy’s father, who lives in the apartment, police said, according to WCBD. During the walk through, the child was found in the apartment alone, sleeping on a bed in the unit’s living room.
When police entered the unit, the boy woke up and reached for his water bottle, which was empty, a police report said, according to WYFF. The toddler had a dirty diaper, but otherwise seemed to be in good health. He was taken to Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital by foster care workers.
A witness informed police that the boy’s father had sent a text saying he was in New York, the report said. After several attempts at contacting the toddler’s parents, his dad called the apartment complex and spoke with police.
The 24-year-old told police he was only “a few states away” and had left the child at about 6 a.m. Thursday, according WCBD. He eventually admitted he was in New York “on business” and assumed the boy’s mother would be watching him, police told news outlets.
The boy’s dad changed his story to police again, saying the child’s mother was also in New York “for an emergency,” the report said.
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