In Lower Allen Township, a distressing incident occurred when police found a four-year-old child locked inside a vehicle for an hour. The child’s father is now facing charges for this negligence.
According to a police affidavit filed by Lower Allen Township Police, Robert Wall, a 46-year-old resident of South Carolina, has been charged with leaving his daughter alone inside a car parked on the 3200 block of Ruth Way in the Arcona Strand apartment complex on a hot evening.
The affidavit states that on June 13th at 8:01 p.m., a witness was walking towards a nearby business when he heard a car alarm. Upon investigation, the witness discovered a black BMW with a child locked inside.
As per the affidavit, the child was secured in her seat, drenched in sweat and screaming, while the police were responding to the incident. The witness mentioned that the temperature was soaring at 89 degrees. To rescue the child, the witness had to stretch through the slightly open window to unlock the vehicle and free her. Upon being asked her name, the child simply said, “I’m thirsty.”
According to the affidavit, the witness enlisted the help of a neighbor to fetch her a bottle of water.
Shortly after, a man named Wall, the father of the child, emerged from 3221 Ruth Way and brought the child back inside the house before the police arrived.
According to the police report, Wall had gone to visit a friend in the area at 6:44 p.m. Upon arrival, he found that his daughter was sleeping and opted to leave her in the car. To ensure proper ventilation, he had opened the back windows about 4-6 inches and the front windows about 2-4 inches. He then went inside to enjoy some drinks and watch TV.
Breaking News
According to the affidavit, Wall stated that he checked on his daughter by peering out the window every 5-10 minutes but did not physically go outside to confirm her safety. It wasn’t until bystanders found the child in the car and Wall’s son informed him that he finally went outside.
According to reports, the car alarm had been blaring for around 15 minutes, but no one had emerged from the house. When questioned about whether he had heard the alarm, Wall was unable to provide an answer.
Wall is currently facing a serious charge of endangering the welfare of children, which is classified as a felony.
As of now, Wall is being held in Cumberland County Prison on a bail of $5,000 and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on July 11th.
