A Houston-area father is charged with child abandonment after police said he left his children alone in a car for more than an hour as he shopped.
Police said Adrian Dreshuan Middleton was in the store for an hour and a half before he came out to the car. His daughter was crying in the back seat. She told police that she and her brother were playing, but she was angry that he didn't stop crying so she wrapped the seatbelt around the baby, The Associated Press reported. She thought he had fallen asleep. But the baby was strangled by the belt, police said.
Middleton said he saw his son unconscious with the belt wrapped around him. He called 911 and performed CPR on his son until first responders arrived, KHOU reported.
The baby was taken to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Middleton first told police that the children were in their car seats but then said in a different statement to law enforcement that there were no car seats in the car when the incident took place, KHOU reported.
Police charged Middleton Friday in the case that happened in May.
According to police records, Middleton told police he left his 6-year-old daughter and 1-year -old son in the car, parked outside a thrift store. He said he left the air conditioner running, a movie playing and gave them water and a snack when he went in to shop for clothes, The AP reported.
Middleton turned himself in to police on Monday, KHOU reported.
About the Author
