‘Call 911, there’s a baby’: Family rescues child left by father who was later found with stolen truck
LIVINGSTON, TEXAS: A father has been charged with abandoning or endangering a child after he left his baby inside the shed in the backyard of another family’s house. A security camera recorded the father, who was naked, checking the family’s vehicle doors before allegedly stealing a neighbor’s truck and leaving the baby behind.
According to KHOU, John and Katharine McClain, who found the baby in their backyard, were awakened on Saturday morning, September 24, by the sound of a neighbor’s truck driving away. When they checked their security camera, they saw a naked man checking several vehicle doors before jumping in the neighbor’s truck and driving off. “We called the neighbors and they reported it stolen," said John. Meanwhile, John observed that their dog, Archie, was barking at something inside the shed in the backyard. Katharine thought it may have been a baby snake or some other animal. However, seconds later, Katharine joined John after he alerted her that there’s a baby. He said, “So when I opened it up, the baby was laying right by the motorcycle right there." Adding to this, Katharine recollected, "He said, 'Call 911, there’s a baby.'"
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When a dispatcher told Katharine that it was fine to pick the baby up, she brought her to the house and waited for an ambulance. Emergency medical workers checked her out at the scene before taking her to a hospital in Houston. Narrating the incident, Katharine said, "I’m a mom. I was pretty frantic and just shocked. It’s still kind of got me a little bit.”
As per the report, the authorities said they later found the stolen truck with the girl’s father. His own vehicle was found abandoned near railroad tracks that run behind the McClain’s property. Commenting on it, John said, "I just hope he comes out and takes care of his kids and cleans his act up," while Katharine said she'd be willing to add the baby to their family. She said, "I just want her to be happy and live a good life, you know? If they gave her to me, I’ll take her in a heartbeat. And she’ll never have any worries again.”
Polk County jail records identify the suspect as Clifford Jason Guynes and say he is being held on a $200,000 bond. He is also charged with abandoning or endangering a child, according to jail records.