Pennington County ( trfnews.i234.me ) – A 19-year-old woman from Thief River Falls is facing a gross misdemeanor child endangerment charge after her young daughter was found wandering alone on September 5.
Police were called after a report of a small child walking unsupervised in the Southwood Park Townhomes area. According to the complaint, the 3-year-old girl was dressed in a sweater and sweatpants but had no shoes. The outside temperature was about 50 degrees with windy conditions.
Officers stayed with the child at a nearby playground to see if a parent appeared. They contacted Pennington County Social Services for assistance. Eventually, they found the child’s mother, identified as Ericka Dawn May, at her apartment in the complex.
When questioned, May allegedly told officers her daughter had been outside for about 20 minutes. Officers stated they had already been with the girl for more than 40 minutes. May admitted she was asleep when the child went outside. The complaint says she showed little remorse and did not take the situation seriously. At one point, she reportedly tried to return to her apartment without her daughter.
Authorities arrested May and charged her with gross misdemeanor child endangerment, which is defined as placing a child at risk of harm. According to the complaint, this was the fourth report of the girl being left outside unsupervised. Previous incidents occurred on August 18, 23, and 25.
The case remains under review. More information on child endangerment laws in Minnesota is available through the Minnesota Revisor of Statutes.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.
