Maplewood man accused of leaving child in car while at strip club
MAPLEWOOD, Minn. (AP) - Prosecutors in Wisconsin were considering charges Friday after a Maplewood man was arrested for allegedly leaving his 18-month-old son in a van outside a strip club for several hours Wednesday night.
The police report filed in the case said that while the 45-year-old man lounged inside the Cajun Club in St. Croix County in Wisconsin, temperatures outside dipped into the low 20s.
A customer entering the hilltop club overlooking Stillwater about 1 a.m. Thursday told staff there was a baby crying in a van outside, said manager Tess Ross. She went to look.
"I was shocked," she said. "I couldn't believe it was a little baby. I felt so bad."
After checking to see that the doors of the van were locked, she called 911.
The club made an announcement over its speaker system seeking the van's owner and the staff approached each customer. Eventually, Ross said a man came forward and she told him to check his van. Deputies were waiting outside.
St. Croix County Sheriff Dennis Hillstead said patrons told deputies the van had been parked outside the club since at least 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, which meant the child was strapped into his car seat for more than three hours.
What a dirtbag. I can't stand when this crap happens. It gets better, though.
Hillstead said the little boy was found wearing socks, a jacket, and sweat pants. He was taken to a hospital in Hudson, Wis., where he was treated for exposure and frostbite. By Friday, the boy was released into his mother's custody.
"He's just lucky it wasn't 10 degrees colder, or that baby could have been in serious trouble," Hillstead said.
The man was arrested on suspicion of neglect of a child, a misdemeanor, and booked into the county jail. The man's wife posted $250 bail early Thursday.
"He had told his wife he was going to the grocery store for milk, but went directly to the Cajun Club," Hillstead said, adding, "When he failed to return home, his wife had called Maplewood police to report him missing."
So he lied to his wife about where he was going. What's really baffling is if he knew he was going to the strip club, why would he take his child? In fact, even if he was just going to the store for a simple milk pick up, why take the child out in to the cold? Finally, why would his wife post bail?!?!
Cathy Halverson, office manager for the St. Croix County Attorney's office, said Friday the case was still under review and a charging decision would be made later.
The couple's neighbor, Donna Gervais of Maplewood, said she baby-sat the couple's older child while the man's wife went to bail him out of jail. Gervais said the couple have lived in the home since last summer, and there have never been any problems.
"They are good people. They're very good with their kids," Gervais said. "I don't see anything wrong going on over there."
She said she was there when he got home early Thursday. "He was very upset and very near to tears," Gervais said. "All he said is he messed up, and he's so sorry for what happened."
Well, I hope he seriously charged. This kind of behavior is inexcusable. The whole story sounds . . . off. That child is VERY lucky, though not very lucky to have such parents.
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