Dad left two kids in car after police chase (Middletown, Ohio)

Notice that there is mention of the grandparents, but not of a mother. Is this a single dad? If so, what happened to Mom? Was this idiot awarded custody at some point or what?

Dad is identified as RODERICK ROBINSON.

http://www.middletownjournal.com/news/news/local/father-left-2-kids-in-car-after-police-chase/nWJQ7/

Updated: 3:42 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013 | Posted: 3:17 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013

Father left 2 kids in car after police chase

By Rick McCrabb

MIDDLETOWN — A Middletown man was convicted of child endangering after he allegedly left his two children — ages 9 and 4 — in the car when he jumped out of the car and fled Middletown police following a short pursuit.

Roderick Robinson, 29, of Bonita Drive, was found guilty of those charges, plus eluding and obstructing official business, in Middletown Municipal Court on Wednesday afternoon. He pleaded no contest and was sentenced to 240 days in Middletown City Jail.

On Tuesday, Robinson was pulled over on Roosevelt Boulevard near Wicoff Street because his front license plate wasn’t displayed, police said. After he was stopped, Robinson took off in his vehicle and was chased by a Middletown police officer, said Maj. Rodney Muterspaw of the Middletown Division of Police.

Robinson got out of his vehicle and was chased by police because he had a warrant through Butler County Sheriff’s Office. Police later found Robinson, and when he continued to run, police deployed a Taser and Robinson was arrested.

The case seemed to end there until police reviewed the cruiser’s camera and it showed two children, whom the officer didn’t see, exiting the vehicle as police chased their father, Muterspaw said.

The children told police their father told them: “I’m running. Go to your grandparents.”

After viewing the tape, police shifted the focus of their investigation to the children, Muterspaw said. He said the children were found at their grandfather’s home, a short distance away. Muterspaw said the children were scared, but unharmed.

Muterspaw said after 22 years on the force, he thought he had seen it all. Then he watched the video and saw the children’s heads popping up, and them running away.

“Incredible,” he said.