Dad arrested after 2-year-old daughter found wandering along road (Walker, Louisiana)

This kind of garden-variety neglect used to be associated almost exclusively with mothers, since mothers were responsible (or assumed to be responsible) for the vast majority of caregiving. But now that more fathers have been enlisted as "caregivers," they are represented in an escalating number of neglect cases. If anything, these dudes are even more clueless than their female counterparts. And so it was with dad CHRISTOPHER BRINGHURST, who was apparently zoned out on pot while his 2-year-old daughter wandered the neighborhood. Where mom was (working?) is not mentioned at all.

INVISIBLE MOTHER ALERT.

http://www.wafb.com/Global/story.asp?S=13804529

2-year-old found wandering along road, father arrested
Posted: Jan 07, 2011 3:26 PM CST
Updated: Jan 07, 2011 3:26 PM CST

WALKER, LA (WAFB) - A Walker man was arrested Friday morning after his two-year-old daughter was found by neighbors wandering down Duff Road.

Deputies went door-to-door trying to find the child's parents without success. Workers from the Department of Children and Family Services then took custody of the girl.

An hour and a half later, authorities say they got a frantic call from Christopher Bringhurst, 24, about his missing daughter.

When deputies arrived at Bringhurst's home, they realized they had knocked on the door earlier in the morning.

According to reports, Bringhurst initially told deputies he had been watching TV when the girl wandered off. Deputies say they found a marijuana joint on top of the TV while talking to Bringhurst. He then changed his story and said he had been asleep and left the girl alone to watch TV.

Bringhurst was arrested and charged with illegal use of a CDS in the presence of persons under 17, child desertion, simple possession of schedule I CDS and cruelty to a juvenile.