A Bowling Green man was arrested Thursday (March 27) after a toddler left in his care was reportedly found walking in the street near the intersection of East Napoleon Road and South Summit Street.
Bowling Green Police charged Paul Semmes, 34, for endangering children and possession of cocaine, and took him to Wood County Jail.
Police received a call around 4:45 p.m. about a little girl almost being struck by a vehicle as she was running in the roadway. Officers found the 2-year-old crying, wearing only a shirt and diaper.
Bowling Green Fire Department took the child, who had a bump on her forehead, to Wood County Hospital.
Police officers searched the area for the child’s guardians. They found Semmes, reportedly appearing unconscious, lying on a swing in a yard in the 200 block of East Napoleon Road. A woman pulled into the residence, reportedly distraught when she saw the girl’s blanket in the yard, but no sign of the child. The child had reportedly been left in Semmes’ care.
Semmes, who had a warrant out of Michigan for possession of cocaine, was highly intoxicated, according to the police report. He reportedly had cocaine in his pocket at the time of his arrest.
The police report noted that the home had a foul odor, sticky floors with trash scattered about, dog feces, and an empty vodka bottle. Wood County Children’s Services responded to the home.
