Kansas dad charged as cops rescue four-year-old son locked in bedroom filled with urine and feces
A Kansas father is in jail after he allegedly locked his four-year-old son alone in a bedroom and went to work, according to the Allen County Sheriff's Office.
Allen County Sheriff Bryan Murphy said, "This is my 28th year in law enforcement, 25 of those years here, we have never come across any kind of situation like this."
According to Sheriff Murphy, Blayke Anthony Reynolds is facing felony charges after deputies found his son locked in the bedroom of a house located outside city limits. The report states the boy had no access to food nor a bathroom, Fox4 Kansas City reports.
Reynolds, who has temporary visitation rights to see his son, told deputies he could not afford childcare for the boy.
At about 5 pm on Monday, a neighbor saw the boy banging on a bedroom window and crying for help before they alerted authorities. Responding officers broke into the locked bedroom, only to find the room reeking of urine and the presence of human feces inside.
"I can’t imagine it," Murphy said. "I have a six-year-old at home. I can’t even fathom that thought of putting my child in a room with no access to water, no access to utilities for any period of time. Let alone leave him alone in an empty house and driving an hour-and-a-half to work. Working an entire shift, I cannot even fathom that."
Reynolds worked in LaCygne, Kansas, which is about an hour and a half's drive away from his residence. According to Murphy, Reynolds knew his shift was from 3 pm to midnight and would have deliberately left his son locked up for over 12 hours.
That said, the sheriff praised the 911 caller for noticing the situation and alerting law enforcement.
Deputies are currently investigating reports saying this may not have been the first time the embattled child was left alone in the locked room.
Reynolds has now been charged with three felonies, including aggravated child endangerment.