Father charged with leaving kids in broken down car

FORT PAYNE, Alabama (WDEF) – A northeast Alabama father has been charged with leaving his kids in a broken down car in the heat.

DeKalb County deputies say they got calls about a man walking on County Road 97.

24-year old Justin Tyrone Pinkney says his vehicle broke down and he left his children with it.

Deputies found a small child standing next to the vehicle and an infant in the back seat.

And they had been their awhile.

Officers called social services and arrested Pinkney for Endangering Welfare of a child.

Sheriff Jimmy Harris says “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. 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.”