Custodial dad, step abandon his kids when they moved (Howell, New Jersey)

UNNAMED DAD. Apparently had no concerns about the children from the earlier marriage or relationship. No mention here of how Daddy got custody or what happened to the mother of these children. Unfortunately, this is typical....

http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20121025/NJNEWS/310250057/Cops-Couple-evicted-from-home-leaves-kids-behind

Howell couple leaves children behind after eviction, cops say Howell pair evicted, left 2 kids behind

10:26 PM, Oct 25, 2012

Written by Michelle Sahn

HOWELL — Police arrested a 31-year-old man they say moved to Freehold, but left two of his three children behind when the family was evicted from their Howell home. 

The 31-year-old man and his 29-year-old wife were arrested this week, police said.

The father was charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child.

His wife was charged with wrongful impersonation and using false identification, after police said their child abuse investigation led them to discover that she was using someone else’s Social Security number to work.

The Courier News is withholding the names of the defendants to protect the identity of the children. 

After the father and his wife — the stepmother of the older children — were evicted from their home in Howell, they moved to Freehold, but left two of the children — ages 8 and 10 — behind, police said. The couple has an 18-month-old child together and they took the toddler with them, according to Detective Sgt. Eileen Dodd.

A neighbor took the children in. Then the state Division of Youth and Family Services called police. 

The father is being held in the Monmouth County jail, Freehold Township, in lieu of $75,000 bail. His wife is being held in the same jail in lieu of $3,000 bail.

Detective Janet Benitez is handling the investigation. Anyone with information about the case should call Benitez at 732-938-4575, ext. 2885.