Michigan couple ‘high on meth’ arrested for child abuse after leaving 4-month-old son alone in freezing car
If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.
GRAND HAVEN, MICHIGAN: Two parents from Grand Haven, Michigan were arrested on Wednesday, February 22, after they were accused of dozing off for hours in the front seats of a parked car while their four-month-old child in the back almost died from freezing temperature.
Court records state that the incident happened on January 29. The baby's parents, Phillip Nass, 32, and Crystal Kanouse, 30, admitted to the Michigan police about using meth within the previous few days and were likely going through detox, as reported by WZZM.
READ MORE
Why were Philip Nass III, and Crystal Kanouse charged?
On January 29, an automobile was reported to be parked in the middle of the road facing the wrong way. The Grand Haven Department of Public Safety responded to the 911 call. There was a lot of snow all around it which the plow had swept aside.
The caller observed an unconscious man inside the standing automobile. Nass was discovered in the front seat bu the firefighters when they arrived at the scene. Kanouse was covered in her own vomit, sitting in the passenger seat.
Their four-month-old son was in the backseat in an unsecured car seat, and the infant was not dressed for the cold and had no blanket while strapped in an infant carrier. The child's skin was frozen, according to officials, and his feet had become blue. Additionally, the boy was also covered in his own urine and feces, as reported by Express.
Is the baby okay?
The first responder stepped in right away and hurried the four-month-old to the hospital. They claimed the kid is currently getting better, according to the agency.
"The baby would have died if he had remained in the car," according to GHDPS Director Jeff Hawke. A detective in the court transcripts told the judge, "...When I asked them if they remembered the last time they had fed their baby, they said no. I asked them the last time they changed their baby, they said no. They didn't recall the previous day. They don't recall if they fed him two nights ago. I asked both if they felt their son was in inappropriate care right now and they told me no..."
Detectives obtained felony arrest warrants for the child's parents on Wednesday, February 22 evening, and the two were taken into custody. Also, the youngster has been placed in foster care. Kanouse is charged with one crime of child abuse, while Nass III is charged with one count each of child abuse and habitual offender. Furthermore, Kanouse might spend up to ten years behind bars.
A large area of the southern section of the state was covered with a half-foot of snow at the time of the incident, and Michigan suffered freezing conditions near the end of January. Meanwhile, the state has been experiencing more severe weather, with an ice storm cutting electricity to 800,000 homes and businesses. "Some areas of light freezing rain/drizzle and sleet will persist through the morning hours. An additional light glaze of ice possible," according to the National Weather Service.