A St. Paul woman celebrated her 22nd birthday Friday evening with tattoos and drinks. Meanwhile, her toddler waited in an unlocked car all alone.
According to Greensburg Police Chief Brian Heaton, Jessica L. Middleton, 22, was arrested early Saturday morning on charges of neglect of a dependent, a Class D felony. Heaton said at 10:26 p.m. Friday, the department received a call of a 2-year-old in a car unattended in the city parking lot just off the downtown square. Due to a high call volume taxing the on-duty officers he had at the time, Officer Mike McNealy didn’t arrive immediately. When he did, he found a child being cared for by some friendly passers-by.
“There were some good samaritaians tending to the kid. The car was unlocked, and the child was screaming,” Heaton said.
The toddler was dressed in only pajamas and socks, Heaton said, and the evening was a chilly 51 degrees. McNealy immediately called in Decatur County EMS and Child Protective Services. EMS examined the child, who was determined to be uninjured. McNealy and the rest of the GPD units as well as assisting deputies from the Sheriff’s Department combed the nearby bars for the mother to no avail.
Heaton said they may not have found Middleton without thew help of a 16-year-old male who said he was friends with the mother. He told officers Middleton, who turned 22 on Oct. 15, went to Somers’ Ink, a new tattoo parlor downtown, for a tattoo at around 9:30 p.m. Afterwards, Heaton said the teenager informed officers she went to the Tiki Bar for a birthday drink. He identified Middleton to officers, who allowed him access to the bar for the purpose of making their arrest.
Once identified, Middleton was quickly taken into custody. The child was turned over to Child Protective Services and released into the temporary custody of a relative, Heaton said. In all, the toddler was alone for about an hour.
The incident was troublesome to officers as well as the chief, he said. The situation took all the resources the GPD had and likely took away from other calls or crimes that may have been committed. Above all, it made him mad that something like this could happen in his city.
“This bothers me extremely. It makes absolutely no sense to leave a kid in a car so you can go anywhere,” Heaton said. “I’m just at a loss for words.”
The weather conditions could have been bad enough but there were so many other factors, he said, that could have come into play to turn this situation from bad to worse. Hopefully, he said, Middleton will learn the error of her ways.
“Obviously, mom needs some parenting skills,” Heaton said. “We were fortunate with this. There are so many things that could’ve went wrong.”
News
Related Photos
-
contributed photo
Mom Gets Tattoo, Drinks While Toddler in Car Alone
- News
-
-
Week for Wishes ends optimistically
Down the road a bit from the multitude of Relay for Life fundraising activities taking place at the Decatur County Fairgrounds, the local chapter of the Make a Wish Foundation hosted a variety of fun events all their own.
-
Relay touts big numbers
Hundreds of area residents gathered at the Decatur County Fairgrounds over the weekend, each doing his or her part to take a stand against cancer.
-
"Kindy 500" a fun fest for all
There were no engines to start Thursday afternoon, and the racing "track" offered significantly less space and ground to cover compared to a certain race being staged this Sunday, but that did nothing to dampen the spirit among students as they participated in the 1st "Kindy 500" at Greensburg's Good Shepherd Academy.
-
School's out!
The children of Greensburg Elementary School were more than happy to mug for the camera en route to boarding the school buses that would soon ferry them on to summer vacation Monday afternoon.
-
FSA reminds producers to file Annual Report of Acreage
Julia A. Wickard, State Executive Director of USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Indiana today reminded producers to submit their annual report of acreage to their local FSA county office to meet FSA program eligibility requirements.
-
Surviving Decatur County's storm season
In an interview last September, meteorologist and Greensburg native Brian Schoettmer with the National Weather Service (NWS) in Louisville, Ky., told the Daily News that early-through-mid-spring and late fall tend to be the busiest and most dangerous times of the year for tornadoes and other severe weather in the Ohio Valley region.
-
Strawberry Festival date announced
The Decatur County United Fund's annual Strawberry Festival is set for Friday, June 1, on the south side of the courthouse square.
-
GoGreensburg silent auction
An autographed hat and photo card, complete with authentication papers, will be up for bids at a silent auction Monday.
-
Running Clinic ready to take off
Children planning to spend the early portion of their summer in a brisk jog may find the upcoming Decatur County Youth Running Clinic much to their liking.
-
Man held after assaulting police
A Greensburg man is in the custody of the Decatur County Jail following a drug-induced assault on police Thursday night.
- More News Headlines
-
Serial Stabbings Suspect Guilty of Murder
Facebook Shares Continue Negative Slide
8 Hurt in Oklahoma Shooting After NBA Playoff
US Airways: Diverted Flight Has 'Landed Safely'
A Few Odd Business Sparks but Europe Gloomy
Revived Focus on Regulation After JPMorgan Loss
Gerard Butler: the Good, the Bad and the Cannes
At Least 25 Dead in India Train Collision
Raw Video: Private Rocket Blasts Off
Boy to Rescuers: 'Do You Have a Plan?'
Doctors and Devotees Debate Barefoot Running
Blacks Seek to Find Their Own Missing
Houston Museum Unveils $85 Million Dinosaur Hall
Chicago Police: 90 Arrested in NATO Protests
Ex-Rutgers Student Gets 30 Days in Webcam Case
Obama Sees Inspiration in Joplin Graduates
Raw Video: Man Saved After Niagara Falls Plunge
NATO: Afghan Exit 'Irreversible'
Catholic Groups Sue Over Contraception Mandate
4 Arrested After Man's Beating at Dodger Stadium
