Woman arrested after child found wandering Fayetteville street
A woman was arrested Tuesday and charged with one count of misdemeanor child neglect after police said her young daughter was found wandering a Fayetteville street. Fayetteville police tweeted at about 1:30 p.m. that they had located a young child. Officers were working to identified her and find her parents.
Posted — UpdatedAccording to police, 25-year-old Evangela Jones left her daughter at home with the girl’s father without telling him she was leaving. That's when the child was able to slip out of the home.
According to a video posted on Facebook by the Fayetteville Police Department, officers received a call at about 11:50 a.m. from a passerby who saw the 18-month-old girl walking near Old Shaw Road.
"I seen a little girl in the middle of the road with her pants and her shoes in her hand, and her face was all snotty and stuff," said Courtney Thomas. "I stopped. I looked around to see any parents. I didn't see nobody."
Thomas said she called 911 and waited for authorities to arrive.
Lt. Todd Joyce said a picture of the child was shared on social media, and someone was able to get a hold of the child's father.
"They were just a short distance away from where the officers were," Joyce said in a video message on Facebook. "We are very thankful because this could have been a very tragic situation, very busy time of day."
The child's father told police he works multiple jobs and sleeps during the day. He will not be charged.
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