By Tyler Pruett, Managing Editor
FORT PAYNE, Ala. — On Tuesday, July 12, the DeKalb County Sheriff’s office received a call from a concerned citizen about a male subject walking on County Road 97, just Northwest of Fort Payne. The call would lead deputies to discover an infant in a hot car, and lead to an arrest for child endangerment.
Upon arriving at the scene, deputies identified the subject in question as Justin Tyrone Pinkney, 24, of Fort Payne. According to the statement released by the sheriff’s office, Pinkney stated that his vehicle broke down and that he left his children in the vehicle.
After locating the vehicle, deputies noticed that a small child had been left unattended standing next to the disabled vehicle along with an infant in the back seat of the car. According to the sheriff’s department, the children seemed to have been left in the vehicle for some time.
With yesterday’s temperatures reaching 92 degrees along with 99 percent humidity, the responding deputies contacted the Department of Human Resources (DHR) and DeKalb County Sheriff’s investigators. Pinkney was soon after arrested for and charged with Endangering the Welfare of a Child.
“When the weather is this hot outside it puts everybody in danger to heat exhaustion or something worse if they are left in a vehicle for a long period of time without air,” Sheriff Jimmy Harris said in a statement.
“Thanks to the citizens that called this in we were able to get these kids out of this situation and thanks to the deputies, investigators and DHR for their quick response in this case,” Harris said.
Pinkney is currently being held in the DeKalb County Jail. Bond will be set pending a court appearance.
