A grandfather was arrested after allegedly paying a homeless woman $20 to watch his 7-year-old granddaughter while he spent hours drinking at a bar, according to police.
The incident unfolded around 7:45 p.m. on Monday at a bar in Sacramento, California, where deputies from the Sacramento County Sheriff’s North Patrol responded to a report of a man asking for help, claiming his granddaughter had been kidnapped for human trafficking.
Upon arrival, deputies found the suspect, 54-year-old Jason Warren, heavily intoxicated. Warren admitted to giving an unknown homeless woman $20 to take his granddaughter to a nearby thrift store while he spent approximately four hours inside the bar.
Police quickly obtained surveillance footage confirming the woman had left with the child. An urgent search was initiated, involving a sheriff’s helicopter, drones, and a K9 unit.
Thirty minutes into the search, the woman returned to the parking lot with the child after hearing announcements from the sheriff’s helicopter. She revealed that Warren was too intoxicated to care for the child and took her to her “camp” to get food.
Deputies spoke with the granddaughter, who confirmed the events. Fortunately, she was unharmed and medically cleared at the scene.
Further investigation revealed that the child’s aunt had full custody but had asked Warren to look after her while she went to work. Child Protective Services determined it was safe for the child to return home with her aunt.
Warren was arrested on charges of felony child endangerment and other offenses. He is currently held at the Sacramento County Main Jail on $75,000 bail.
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