Case Against Anchor Moved to Juvenile Court
/
Back in November, FTVLive told you that Cops had busted WKBN (Youngstown, Ohio) Anchor Dan Martin after they said he left left his child in the car as he ran inside a drugstore.
Court records say the charge was dismissed against Martin because the case has been transferred to juvenile court.
The court entry specifies that the prosecutor has the right to file a charge for a lesser offense.
A representative from juvenile court tells 21 News that Martin is scheduled for a February 20 arraignment on the child endangering charge.
The original charge was filed after Boardman Township police were called to the parking lot of the Market Street CVS when a woman heard the sound of a baby crying coming from an SUV parked outside the store.
The woman told police that she saw an unattended infant in a car seat inside the SUV.
She said the car's engine was running and the doors were not locked.
The woman told officers that after about ten minutes a man came out of the store and told her it was his baby. By then a police cruiser had arrived.
The store manager told police that when she became aware of the unattended infant, she searched the store until she found Martin in the back of the store. She said that when Martin was told that police were on their way, he left his shopping cart in the store and returned to the car.
Police, who say Martin's SUV could not be seen from inside the store, reviewed surveillance video and saw Martin enter the store at 6:16 pm. Police got the call about the unattended baby about ten minutes later and arrived at the store at 6:28 pm.
According to the police report, Martin told officers that the baby was fussy, had just fallen asleep, and he didn't want to wake her while he ran into the store to “grab a few things.”
While Martin told the officer he was aware that the SUV's doors were not locked, he said he kept the car running, so the heat remained on.
After being read his rights, Martin was arrested on one count of child endangering.
H/T WFMJ
