Dad left 2 preschoolers alone for hours; charged with felony child abuse (Grand Island, Nebraska)

Dad DAVID W. GODBEY was stopped by the police for driving with a suspended license, and taken off to jail. Well, Daddy apparently forgot--or figured he better keep quiet about--the two preschool-age sons he had left at his home, locked in their rooms. Officers later received a call requesting a welfare check (from whom? Mom?), and that's when they discovered the little boys, who had that point had been alone for about 7 hours.

INVISIBLE MOTHER ALERT: Given that there is no mention of a mother, is this a custody/visitation case?

http://www.omaha.com/article/20100527/NEWS97/100529677

Published Thursday May 27, 2010

Tots found alone; father is charged« Crime/CourtsRSS SHARE

GRAND ISLAND —A Grand Island man accused of leaving his two preschool-age sons home alone for several hours was charged Wednesday with two counts of felony child abuse.

David W. Godbey, 37, was also charged in Hall County Court with one count of misdemeanor driving during suspension.

He was released from the Hall County Jail on his own recognizance but was ordered not to have any contact with the children unless he was under State Department of Health and Human Services supervision.

Police stopped Godbey about 8:20 p.m. Tuesday for driving with a suspended license. He was taken to jail but made no mention of his children, Grand Island Police Officer Roger Philbeck said.

Officers later stopped at his home after the emergency center received a call requesting a welfare check on children there, Philbeck said.

When the officers arrived about 12:15 a.m. Wednesday, they found the two boys, ages 3 and 4, locked in their bedroom with no adults at home, he said.

Police believe the boys had been alone since 5 p.m. Tuesday, he said.

The boys were sleeping when they were found. They weren’t injured, he said.