Toddler in Cage, Another Found Naked Outside: Negligent Father Arrested
A Tulsa man has been arrested for child endangerment after leaving his 18-month-old daughter naked in a dog crate and another outside naked and shivering in the cold while he was passed out. Neighbors called the police, who responded, and now William Lewallen Sr., the father, is being held on $50,000 bond.
Neighbors who said they could hear a young girl's cries in the backyard called police.
"All I could hear was the baby saying, 'Daddy let me back in. I'm cold. I'm scared. Please let me back in,'" the anonymous neighbor told The Stir. It was a grizzly 40 degrees outside, and the child was naked and shivering.
After trying to alert the girl's father, they took her into their own home and called police. That's when authorities made the discovery of another child, this one 18 months old, also naked, but in a dog crate. She was reportedly covered in feces and screaming when police entered the home.
Her father was found in his bedroom, completely passed out.
Officer Leland Ashley described Lewallen's condition as an "alcohol- or narcotics-induced stupor." The children's mother was at work during the ordeal and arrived home as police were leaving the residence. The children were put into the custody of the Department of Human Services while an investigation is being conducted.
According to the Associated Press, a man by the same name and birth date pleaded guilty to "possession of a precursor to manufacture methamphetamine." He is currently being held in the Tulsa County Jail and will face a judge on Nov. 19.
Police are grateful that the neighbors acted when they did in order to protect the children and prevent further harm.
"You have to give credit to that neighbor who acted and did not ignore the situation," Ashley said.
