Harper Woods, MI — A Metro Detroit man is facing felony child abuse charges after a 13-month-old child was discovered alive inside a locked vehicle that had been impounded and sitting in a tow yard for nearly two days.
Authorities say Orlander Murnell Linson Jr. allegedly left the toddler inside a vehicle that had been illegally parked in Harper Woods late Thursday night. Police say the vehicle was later towed to a lot in Eastpointe, where the child remained trapped inside the locked car.
The situation came to light Saturday morning after the child’s mother went to the Detroit Police Department’s Ninth Precinct to report the toddler missing. During the investigation, a Detroit detective learned the father’s vehicle had recently been impounded and tracked it to the tow yard. Officers responded to the lot and discovered the child crying in the back seat, pinned between a car seat and the passenger door.
Authorities say the child had been inside the vehicle from Thursday night until Saturday afternoon before he was discovered. The child was taken to a hospital for treatment and evaluation and is currently in the custody of Child Protective Services.
Police officials say the officer who initially impounded the vehicle conducted a visual inspection but did not see the child inside. Because the vehicle was locked, officers did not enter the car at the time of the tow. The discovery has raised questions about whether additional steps should have been taken to check the vehicle more thoroughly before it was removed.
Linson has been charged with second-degree child abuse and leaving a child in a vehicle resulting in physical harm. Prosecutors requested a high bond in court, citing Linson’s history and the fact that he reportedly has 10 active warrants and no permanent address.
A judge set Linson’s bond at $100,000, and he is scheduled to return to court on March 11 as the case moves forward. Authorities say the toddler is expected to recover.
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