Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Dad charged after toddler found wandering near liquor store (Spartanburg County, South Carolina)

Notice that the parents do not live together and that (deadbeat?) dad ALTON-GOSSETT-MILLER was supposed to be babysitting while Mom was working.

http://www.wyff4.com/news/local-news/spartanburg-cherokee-news/Police-Toddler-found-wandering-near-liquor-store-father-charged/-/9324158/19784558/-/format/rsss_2.0/-/xnluai/-/index.html

Police: Toddler found wandering near liquor store; father charged

Alton Gossett-Miller arrested

 UPDATED 12:29 PM EDT Apr 17, 2013

SPARTANBURG COUNTY, S.C. —Police were called by a woman who spotted a toddler wandering alone in the parking lot of a liquor store Monday evening, and now that child's father is facing charges. 

The woman, who called 911 just before 8 p.m., said there was a very young girl walking through the parking lot of Chastain's Liquor Store in the direction of the McDonald's. The woman said she picked up the toddler and carried her around to several establishments in the immediate area to see if she could find her parents. The woman said the toddler told her that her mom had gone to work and her dad was in bed.

Spartanburg Public Safety officers arrived at the scene and the child was transported to the Children's Shelter.

While officers continued to investigate, they said a man, later identified as Alton Cornelius Gossett-Miller came walking "nonchalantly" from behind the liquor store walking toward a nearby grocery store, without making any effort to speak with the officers at the scene.

An officer approached Gossett-Miller and asked him if he had a little girl. The officer said Gossett-Miller said he did, and when asked if he was looking for her, he responded that he was.

A short time later, officers reached the toddler's mother and she arrived at the scene. Officers said the mother was visibly shaken, and said her daughter was supposed to be in the care of her father, who she had left the toddler with the day before.

The child was returned to her mother. Gossett-Miller was charged with unlawful neglect of a child.