An Ohio father has been charged with child endangerment for allegedly leaving his 8-year-old daughter in charge of her 2- and 4-year-old siblings while he enjoyed riding roller coasters at Cedar Point with another daughter.
According to the Sandusky police, a concerned parkgoer notified Cedar Point security at around 9 p.m. on Friday after spotting a 2-year-old girl “playing in the dirt” near the Magnum roller coaster without any parents present.
According to the police, park security escorted the young girl to an unattended wagon where they discovered a 4-year-old girl inside. The wagon had been left near the Corkscrew roller coaster.
According to the police report, security had to wait for about 20 minutes before the father, a 36-year-old from Seneca County, came back with his 9-year-old daughter after riding the Corkscrew. To protect the identity of the minor children, the name of the father is not being disclosed by The Beacon Journal.
According to the father, he entrusted the care of his children to his 8-year-old daughter while he enjoyed the roller coaster ride with his 9-year-old.
According to the police report, the father mentioned that he waited in line for just a few minutes before returning to his children. It is worth mentioning that the ride was temporarily closed for approximately 20 minutes while he was in line.
According to the police report, the father confessed to officers that he had left the 8-year-old in charge while he and his 9-year-old daughter enjoyed a ride on the Gatekeeper roller coaster earlier in the day. However, he mentioned that he was able to see his other three children while waiting in line.
According to his statement to the Sandusky police, he admitted to leaving the younger children unsupervised in order to enjoy multiple rides at the park, sometimes up to three times.
According to the police, the father was released on his own recognizance the night of the incident. This decision was made after consulting with Sandusky Municipal Judge Erich O’Brien. The reason behind this was that there was no one else available to take care of the children at the park.
The Seneca County Department of Job and Family Services has been informed about the incident.
