Grandfather Arrested After Paying $20 for Child’s Supervision to Enter Bar, Officials Report

On Monday, deputies arrested a grandfather who was 54 years old on suspicion of endangering a child. According to reports, he had given twenty dollars to an unidentified homeless woman in order to arrange for his granddaughter, who was seven years old, to be taken to a thrift store while he went into a bar in the Sacramento region.

The grandfather was still being held at the Sacramento County Main Jail on Tuesday; the amount of his bond was set at $75,000 at that time. The arraignment of the defendant is set to take place in Sacramento Superior Court on Wednesday afternoon.

The documents from the jail indicate that in addition to the accusation of felony child endangerment, he is also facing a misdemeanor charge of being intoxicated in public and a motor code infraction for allegedly driving with a license that has been suspended during the incident.

Deputy sheriffs were dispatched to the parking lot of the bar located in the Old Foothill Farms area, which is located in the 5300 block of Auburn Boulevard, at approximately 7:45 p.m. on Monday.

A passerby had contacted 911 to report that the grandfather was pleading for assistance because his granddaughter, who was seven years old at the time, had been kidnapped for the purpose of conducting human trafficking, according to a news release issued by the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday.

When deputies arrived, they spoke with the grandfather, who was quite drunk, according to officials from the sheriff’s organization. Approximately four hours earlier, he stepped into the bar and informed the deputies that he had given twenty dollars to a homeless woman whose identity he did not know in order for her to take his granddaughter to a thrift store in the area.

The deputies were able to collect video from a nearby security camera that showed the mother departing with the girl.

In an effort to locate the missing girl, additional sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the scene. In order to assist with the search, a helicopter belonging to the sheriff’s department, aerial drones, and K-9 units were brought to the location. After approximately thirty minutes had passed, the unidentified homeless woman finally returned to the parking lot with the girl after hearing the public address announcements that were broadcast from the helicopter.

According to the deputies, the woman verified that the grandfather had given her money to take the child to the thrift store, and that the grandfather was extremely intoxicated at the time. Deputies were informed by her that she did not believe the grandfather was capable of providing care for the girl.

It was reported by the Sheriff’s Office that the woman brought the girl to her camp in order to obtain food. As a result of the deputies’ conversation with the child, the woman’s account was confirmed.

According to officials from the sheriff’s office, the grandchild was not in any danger and was given a medical clearance by paramedics who were present at the site. After conducting an investigation, the deputies found that the girl’s aunt had complete custody of the kid; nevertheless, she was required to go to work and had requested that the grandfather take care of his granddaughter.

Following a conversation with representatives from Child Protective Services, the deputies came to the conclusion that the girl may go back to her aunt’s house. Additionally, prior to the arrest of the grandpa on the charge of child endangerment, the deputies spoke with detectives from the Child Abuse Bureau of the Sheriff’s Office.