Mentally disabled child found wandering alone
Pewaukee man faces charges of child neglect
Village of Butler — A 30-year-old City of Pewaukee man is facing charges after he apparently fell asleep while taking care of a 5-year-old girl with mental disabilities, who then wandered off from the home they were visiting Sept. 13.
According to the police report, the girl was being taken care of by the Pewaukee man, who is engaged to the girl's mother. The Pewaukee man went to visit a friend who lives on Colfax Place, and while the men were watching the movie "Shrek" with the girl, they fell asleep, and the girl walked out of the house.
Police were called to the area of 125th Street and West Colfax Place at about 4:40 p.m. for a small child that was found. Police found about seven to 10 area residents with the child, and none of them knew who the girl was, the report said.
Officer Chad Rahn spoke with the child, but found the girl would only mimic what he said and would not answer any questions. Rahn took the child by the hand and walked about four blocks, knocking on doors to determine whether anyone knew the child, the report said.
After about 40 minutes, Rahn did not locate anyone on the street and those residents who came to their doors did not recognize the girl, the report said.
Rahn then took the girl to the Police Department and while sitting in the squad car again tried to get information from her but was unable to do so. The girl then fell asleep, and the officer could hear wheezing and called the Fire Department to check on her well-being. The girl was wheezing, but all her vital signs were good, the report said.
As Rahn called Waukesha County Social Services, Fire Department personnel went door-to-door. After about 20 minutes, they located the Pewaukee man, who said he was relieved the girl had been found, the report said.
The man said he was with a friend and the friend was to watch the girl while he took a nap because he was tired from going out the night before and drinking, the report said. The man told police who the mother was, and she was contacted. The woman said her child was in the care of her fiancée, who she lives with, the report said.
Rahn told the woman that her child had been out of the care of her fiancée for about an hour, the report said. The woman, who was at work in Brown Deer, told police to release her daughter to the man, which they did.
Police went to the residence to find the homeowner, but he was not there. Police did note there was a pool in the backyard.
At 9:45 p.m., the man and his friend returned to the Police Department, and the man said he wanted to tell the truth. Rahn noted both men had been drinking, and the man's friend appeared to be extremely intoxicated, the report said.
Both men said they had fallen asleep and admitted what they had done was "stupid," the report said.
Rahn mentioned the pool and said "that if a small child would have walked out the patio to the pool, this would have been a traumatic and horrifying incident," the report said.
The homeowner responded, "(expletive) I never thought of that. That would be bad," the report said.
Butler police are recommending the Waukesha County District Attorney's Office charge the Pewaukee man with child neglect.
E-mail Newsletter
Top stories from the Lake Country area. Tuesday afternoons and Thursday mornings.
Enter your e-mail address above and click "Sign Up Now!" to begin receiving your e-mail newsletter
Get the Newsletter!
1.jpg)
Lake Country residents share their views on news, happenings and current events.
LivingLakeCountry.com features more than a dozen community bloggers - a group of volunteer conversation leaders who are up on the latest topics and never short on an opinion. Just a few are pictured here. Check out the rest and see what they have to say!
View All Blogs
Discussion Guidelines
Do you want to become a Community Blogger? LivingLakeCountry.com welcomes your thoughts and opinions. Contact us for more information:
I want to blog
Posted Wednesday, Jan. 25 |
|
Photo of the Week by Scott Ash:
MANY HATS - Kathy LaShelle from the Town of Merton tries on a handmade hat from Jo's Feltz at the Delafield Winter Market on Sunday, Jan 15. The market is an indoor farmers market and craft fair located at the Delafield Fish Hatchery on the third Sunday of each month through April.
News or Feature Story of the Week by Joe Trovato: Area school districts jump into WEA lawsuit
Design Layout of the Week by Matt Colby: What a difference a day makes
|
MORE: See full gallery
SUBMIT: Post Your Photos now
Do you have news or an event that you would like to share with the community? Whether it's a community organization, a business, a local school, or a notable neighbor, we'd love to hear about it!!
- Sussex-Menomonee Falls-Pewaukee Relay For Life Kickoff Event Sunday, February 19th 3:00 PM
- Summerstage "Break-A-Leg Gala"
- Pancakes at the House
- Christ the King To Host Chicago Gospel Choir Concert
- All God’s Children Preschool To Hold Family Open House to Preview 2012-13 School Year
- 3 & 4 Pre-K Open Enrollment at St. John's Mukwonago
- Winterfest Gallery
- Habitat for Humanity Welcome New Board Members
- J&J Construction Lake Country Receives Three Awards in Annual Remodeler Competition
- Hamilton Band Boosters hosts Italian dinner Feb. 15
MORE: See the rest of Your Stories
SUBMIT: Post Your Story now
