A father in Kentucky was arrested after his two toddler children snuck out of their home and were found wandering along the side of a busy road.
The Knox County Sheriff’s Office announced via Facebook on Monday, June 8, that Jeremiah Grubb was charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of a minor.
He was arrested on Thursday, June 4, and was booked into the Knox County Detention Center.
The incident took place on June 4 around 11:50 a.m. when a deputy with the sheriff’s office responded to an area in Barbourville, Kentucky, after someone called to report that they found two children wandering on the side of the major road “without adult supervision.”
WDKY reported that the witnesses claimed the children, who are 2 and 3 years old, spent roughly 15 minutes without any parents or guardians watching them before they called 911.
Witnesses said that one of the children was partially naked, while the other one needed their diaper to be changed. First responders took care of both children once they arrived at the scene.
An investigation was launched into the matter, and deputies learned that Grubb, 23, “was asleep” and the children’s mother was at work when they snuck out of the home. It was also discovered that the lock on the home’s door was apparently broken, which made it easy for the young kids to get out on their own.
After the children were found, the area’s Department of Child Services and emergency personnel reported to Grubb’s home. The children “were released to a family member” after they were checked and cleared by medics, according to the sheriff’s office statement.
Grubb was then arrested and he attended his arraignment hearing on Monday, June 8. It appears that he has been released from custody, as he is no longer listed as an inmate in the Knox County Detention Center.
It is not currently clear if Grubb has retained legal counsel or entered a plea following his arrest. The Knox County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Us Weekly’s request for comment regarding the case.
After the sheriff’s office uploaded the arrest information, several social media users took to the comments section to weigh in on the situation. “Thank you lord for watching over these precious babies. Prayers for all parties involved (mother and father) as we are none perfect God is good ‘all the time,’” one person commented, and another added, “Just thank the lord nothing happened to the kids that is the most important.”
