Inset: Orlander Linson appearing in court (WJBK). Background: The Michigan street where Linson allegedly left the car with his 1-year-old son inside (Google Maps).
A Michigan father whose car was impounded last week has been arrested after authorities say they found his 13-month-old son still inside the vehicle.
Orlander Murnell Linson Jr. was taken into custody and charged with one count of child abuse by leaving a child in a vehicle resulting in physical harm and one count of second-degree child abuse.
According to a news release from the Harper Woods Police Department, officers on Friday responded to a call regarding an abandoned car in the 20600 block of Damman Street. The vehicle was parked on a restricted side of the street and was also blocking a resident's driveway.
A tow truck responded to the address and hauled the vehicle to an impound lot in Eastpointe. The car doors were locked and the tow truck driver was not able to search the vehicle or inventory its contents, per the release.
The following day, a detective with the Detroit Police Department contacted Harper Woods police regarding an investigation into the case of a missing child. The detective said a car belonging to the father of the missing child had been impounded by Harper Woods police the previous day.
"Suspecting that the missing child may still be in the vehicle, Detroit Police and Harper Woods officers immediately responded to the tow yard in Eastpointe and located the crying 1-year-old child in the rear of the vehicle," the release states.
The boy was pinned between his car seat and the rear passenger door, Detroit ABC affiliate WXYZ reported.
Medics transported the child to a local hospital for treatment. Doctors determined the boy was in stable condition, but kept him through the weekend for evaluation. Police contacted Child Protective Services regarding the case.
Harper Woods Police Chief Jason Hammerle provided additional details about the case to WXYZ and Fox Detroit affiliate WJBK, telling the stations that the victim's mother reported the toddler missing Saturday morning.
He also lauded the Detroit police detective's actions in saving the child.
"That detective did an outstanding job by locating the car considering it wasn't yet registered to the suspect in this case," Hammerle said. "He was able to locate the plate number, the VIN number, tracked it down to Woods Towing. And that detective responded immediately to the tow yard. He's the one that made contact, peered into the windows and found the child in the rear seat."
During Linson's initial court appearance, authorities requested a high bond, arguing the defendant posed a serious flight risk.
"Mr. Linson Jr. has 10 active warrants for his arrest, and he does not have a residence at this time," Deputy Chief Ted Stager said, per WJBK. "So if he does bond out, I'm concerned that he may be in the wind, and we have no way to find out where he would be."
Linson's defense attorney requested a personal recognizance bond, saying the situation was the result of "a bad split-second decision."
He is currently being held on $100,000 bond and is scheduled to return to court on March 11.
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