SPRINGFIELD, Ore. — An Oregon man has been charged with child neglect after his 3-year-old stepson was found wandering a Springfield street wearing no shirt or shoes.
The Register-Guard reports that Springfield police say the 26-year-old man was arrested Sunday afternoon after telling police the boy went missing for about three hours while he was napping.
Two people saw the boy on the street at about 9:30 a.m. and took him to a cafe, where the owners gave him pancakes and juice.
Sgt. Pete Kirkpatrick says the man slept until about 4 p.m. and woke to discover that the boy was missing. Kirkpatrick says the man and the boy’s biological mother were partying into the early morning and there was evidence of alcohol and marijuana in their apartment.
