Father charged after leaving sleeping child in Pokemon card line
John-Michael Dooley faces abandonment charges for leaving his 6-year-old daughter unattended outside a Charleston Target at 2:30 a.m.
By Fatou Kim ·
A South Carolina man has been charged with leaving his six-year-old daughter unattended outside a Target in Charleston while he held a spot in a long queue.
Charleston police reported that a bystander called them around 2:30 a.m. to report an unattended child. Officers found the girl sleeping on a pillow and blanket in a line of people waiting for a new Pokemon trading card release. Witnesses stated that the father had provided the bedding and left her alone at approximately 1:00 a.m. Other shoppers in the line contacted law enforcement after an hour of waiting.
Police identified the father as John-Michael Dooley. Witnesses pointed him out when he returned to the store, and officers took him into custody. Dooley told detectives he left the girl there to ensure she would not lose his place in the line.
The child was not hurt during the incident. Police placed her into emergency protective custody. Dooley is charged with unlawfully putting a child at risk or causing harm and willfully abandoning the child.
His initial court appearance is scheduled for Dec. 12.
