In Canton, Michigan, a missing child report from a frantic parent has resulted in Child Protective Services opening an investigation into the family. Police reports say the incident that started the ball rolling took place in a Home Depot store, where a father who was shopping suddenly realized that he could not locate his son.
The father called Canton police to report that his son was missing. Police arrived at the store at about 7 pm to help the man, but stated that things weren’t quite as they should be when they arrived. Officers noted in their report that the man was acting strangely, and that at one point a knife fell out of his pocket while he was searching for his cell phone.
Another issue that police say concerned them was the fact that the father, a 24-year-old man, shared with them that he currently takes medication for bipolar disorder, panic disorder, and anxiety. The man told officers that a friend had dropped him off at the store, but that he couldn’t recall when he had last seen his son, who was only 5-years-old. He also told officers that he hadn’t taken any drugs since earlier that morning, when he had used marijuana.
After some phone calls were made to family members and friends, it was discovered that the boy was safe with a friend, at a nearby restaurant. Apparently the father had come to Home Depot with his son and a friend, but the boy had started misbehaving and the friend had taken him to restaurant to wait until the father’s business was completed.
By now family members had begun arriving at the store, concerned about the disappearance of the young boy.
While there was great relief at discovering that the child was safe, unharmed and being cared for, the police were concerned about the father’s ability to provide safe care for his son, and contacted CPS to report the situation.
The attorneys at The Kronzek Firm are well versed in dealing with CPS on these issues. While a missing child is clearly concerning, once the child was found safely in the care of an appropriate adult having never been unsupervised, it remains to be seen whether CPS can bear the burden of proving that there was harm, or threatened harm, to the child’s health or welfare.
Police officers issued the father tickets for child neglect and also possession of marijuana. Under Michigan law, Possession of Marijuana (unless you possess a Medical Marijuana Card) in any amount is punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $2,000, unless the possession occurred in a public or private park, which increases the penalty to a possible 2 years in prison. In certain cities around the state, possession of small amounts of marijuana has been decriminalized, but Canton is not one of these places.
In Michigan, Child Neglect is defined as harm or threatened harm to a child’s health or welfare by a parent, legal guardian, or any other person responsible for the child’s health or welfare that occurs through either negligent treatment, or placing a child at an unreasonable risk to the child’s health or welfare. As CPS defense attorneys we see countless cases where parents and caregivers are accused of neglect or abuse by overzealous agency workers who later struggle to substantiate their claims. If you or a loved one have been accused of neglecting or failing to protect a child, even if the allegations are completely false, contact us immediately. Allegations of abuse and neglect are very serious, and need to be handled by defense attorneys experienced in dealing with CPS.