An Arkansas man was arrested after police say he left his infant son alone in a car seat on the ground outside a home for about 30 minutes.
Larry Donell Lee, 22, is charged with felony child endangerment with risk of death or serious injury and misdemeanor failure to appear, according to the Jonesboro Police Department and the Craighead County Sheriff’s Department.
The incident happened on Nov. 6 outside a home on Churchill Drive in Jonesboro, a college town about 70 miles northwest of Memphis, Tennessee.
According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by KAIT, the child’s mother had asked Lee to watch the baby while she ran errands. But when she returned home, she found a disturbing scene.
“When she arrived home, she found the infant in his car seat placed on the ground in front of the door,” the affidavit says. “The child had vomited on himself and was crying.” She estimated her son had been left alone for about half an hour.
Before this, the parents had been arguing on the phone. Police say it’s unclear what the argument was about.
“During the argument, Lee told her that he was returning the child to her residence,” the affidavit states. The mother repeatedly told him she wasn’t home yet, but Lee claimed he didn’t believe her.
Despite her warnings not to leave the baby outside, the defendant allegedly insisted on leaving. The mother told police that Lee said, “He is waiting on you.”
Records show a man with the same name is also involved in a child support case in Craighead County as of late October for a 4-month-old child.
Jonesboro police arrested Lee on Tuesday. On Wednesday, Judge Tommy Fowler found probable cause for the child endangerment charge and issued a no-contact order.
Lee remains in the Craighead County Jail on a $25,000 bond. His next court date is set for Dec. 16.
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