MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – The parents of a 3-month-old baby could face neglect charges after deputies say they found the infant in a car outside a bar.
Witnesses told officers the parents were in the Red Diamond Saloon in Randolph for around 45 minutes last month.
Sheriff’s deputies said it’s a story that serves as a lesson.
“This wasn’t a good decision,” said Cmdr. Dan Scheuermann of the Dakota County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies say several Randolph bar patrons tipped them off, saying the child was in a running parked car outside, after midnight, while the parents were inside. The parents say it was only for a few minutes, but witnesses say it was around 45.
“Two minutes can minutes can be a long time if the heater stops or the car stops,” Scheuermann said.
So they took the parents away and sent the child home with relatives.
Deputies say even if the car is on, and the heat is on, that doesn’t mean things are OK.
“You never know what’s going to happen,” Scheuermann said. “Just don’t do it.”
And that, he says, goes for anyone picking up a quick prescription or running in a gas station to pay.
“Don’t leave anybody in the car, an infant, a child, someone who can’t take care of themselves,” he said.
Deputies won’t name the couple, because they’re waiting for the county attorney to review the case to decide if they’ll be charged with neglect.
