Custodial dad who "allegedly" left 9-year-old daughter at home alone summonsed to court (Dedham, Massachusetts)

Have posted on this case before. Still not one word of explanation as to how custodial dad SHAUN NELSON managed to wrangle custody away from two different mothers--one who lives in New York City, and one who lives in England. It certainly isn't because he's some kind of Great Dad. At least in my book, great parents don't leave 9-year-old kids at home alone while Daddy travels out of state.

http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/dedham/2011/03/girl_who_was_left_home_alone_r.html

Man who allegedly left 9-year-old at home alone summonsed to court
Posted by Sarah Favot March 8, 2011 10:00 AM

A Dedham father who allegedly left his 9-year-old daughter at home alone while he traveled to New York is scheduled to appear in Dedham District Court on Friday for arraignment on charges of abandoning a child under the age of 10.

After several attempts last week, Dedham police served Shaun Nelson, of Presidents Way, a summons over the weekend to appear in court, said Police Department spokesman Bobby Nedder Jr.

Nelson’s daughter was taken into the custody of the state Department of Children and Families on Feb. 27 after the police filed a 51A report of child abuse/neglect, according to a police report. The girl was in state custody as of last Thursday, but was later released to her father following a court hearing, said Department of Children and Families spokeswoman Jennifer Kritz.

Kritz said that department is continuing to work with the family. Because of privacy requirements, she said she could not disclose what type of followup was being done with the family.

According to police, the girl was left home alone for several hours on Feb. 27 as her father traveled to New York. Police were called after the Fire Department responded to an alarm in the apartment that was set off when the girl burned biscuits she was baking.

The girl told police she had been left at home alone for long periods of time in the past, and Nelson confirmed with police it was true, according to the police report.

Asked why he would leave his daughter home alone, the father told police he took full responsibility, according to the report.

Nelson allegedly left for New York on a bus early in the morning; the girl told police she was expecting him to return that evening.

The girl told police that her mother lives in England, according to the report. She said that her father was going to New York to drop off another daughter with her mother. It wasn't clear from the police report who else lives in the apartment with the 9-year-old and her father.

Nelson did not contact police until 2:30 a.m. the following day, after officers left notification in the apartment to call, police said.