Police have charged a grandfather with child abandonment after the man allegedly left an 11-month-old boy alone in a van, while at a southwest Edmonton dog park.
Leaving children unattended in cars is becoming a worrisome trend, the Edmonton Police Service said on Monday.
“This is the third incident in four days where an unsupervised child in a vehicle has been reported by concerned citizens,” said Sgt. Gary Willits of the Child at Risk Response Team.
“In all three cases, each child was easily accessible by anyone passing by, leaving each child vulnerable to medical distress, anxiety, and crimes against children, just to name a few.
"We will continue to lay charges and continue to repeat the message – a guardian cannot use a vehicle as a babysitter – Never leave a child unsupervised.”
Two witnesses called police upon finding the baby inside a Dodge Caravan, with the doors unlocked and one window completely rolled down, police said, adding the grandfather returned to the vehicle 45 minutes after the child was first discovered by passersby.
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