Dad charged after son found in road; dad also busted on marijuana possession (St. Johns County, Florida)

Dad SAMUEL BANKER has been charged with child neglect after his 3-year-old son was found wandering in the middle of a busy road. The police found marijuana at Dad's house after entering the house. There is mention of a female "witness at the home," but no word about mom. Does she live at the home or not? If not, why is the 3-year-old with Dad? Who's decision was that?

Interesting coincidence: Back on June 24, we posted on another St. Johns County dad, JARED JAMES MCKIE, who was accused of similar neglect.

http://www.news4jax.com/news/20348355/detail.html

Man Charged After Son Found In Road
Deputies Greeted By Cloud Of Marijuana Smoke From Man's Home
POSTED: Monday, August 10, 2009
UPDATED: 6:43 pm EDT August 10, 2009

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. -- A St. Johns County man is facing several charges after his young son was found wandering in the middle of a busy road.

Deputies said the 3-year-old boy was almost hit by a car Sunday night on A1A in St. Augustine.
The driver pulled over and called 911, deputies said.

The child's father, Samuel Banker, was later arrested on child neglect charges and other drug-related charges.

Deputies said Banker left the child with a witness at the home but didn't tell her he was leaving to go and buy beer at a nearby convenience store.

She later realized Banker was gone and the child was missing, and later found the boy across the street with the driver who almost hit him.

"It's fortunate that the child was not hit," said Sgt. Chuck Mulligan, of the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office. "We could have had a tragedy on our hands."

After Banker was arrested, he gave St. Augustine Beach police officers consent to search his home and later told them that they would find marijuana on a coffee table inside the living room, along with four bongs inside of one of the kitchen cabinets.