FERGUS FALLS, Minn. (KVLY/Gray News) – A Minnesota woman is in jail for allegedly drinking alcohol while watching her grandchild and leaving the infant outside in the rain.
According to the Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office, deputies received a call around 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday for a child welfare check.
A man told authorities that he saw a woman walking near Cedar Park Loop with no shoes on carrying an infant.
The caller said he slowed down to ask if the woman was OK and she said she was, but he pulled over nearby and suddenly didn’t see the woman with the infant anymore.
Authorities said the man then searched the area for the child after seeing the woman run away and ended up finding the infant lying on the ground in a ditch.
He picked up the child and called law enforcement.
Deputies located the woman, later identified as Anastasia Elizabeth Vaughn, walking in a nearby wooded area. She was identified as the grandmother of the infant.
According to court documents, Vaughn was stumbling, had bloodshot and watery eyes, and slurred speech with the odor of alcohol coming from her.
“[She] seemed confused and said she was looking for a child but was unable to answer specific questions,” one of the deputies shared.
Vaughn’s husband told authorities he didn’t know why she was out with the infant, but confirmed his wife had been drinking earlier in the day
The child’s parents were contacted and soon arrived at the scene, authorities said.
Vaughn was taken into custody and booked into the Otter Tail County Jail on a child endangerment charge.
“She said she did not remember what happened and when asked how much she had to drink she would not say,” court records stated.
A preliminary alcohol breath test came back with a .229 reading, the sheriff’s office said.
Authorities reported the temperatures in the area that evening were around 50 degrees Fahrenheit with winds and rain.
In Minnesota, child endangerment is a gross misdemeanor with a maximum sentence of 364 days in jail and/or with a $3,000 fine.
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