3 Year Old Found Alone Wandering Hotel In Soiled Diaper
On December 5, 2023 around 7:45 PM Portage Police were dispatched to the Days Inn located at 6161 Hwy 20 in reference to a toddler found in the hallways alone, according to a police report.
On arrival of officers police found a small child approximately 2-3 years old sitting in the lobby with hotel staff. The child had only a soiled diaper on and could not provide officers his name but was able to say his age, which he stated was 3. Hotel staff advised officers the child was found by guests crying and knocking on doors in the hallways. Hotel staff believed the child was staying in room 105 with a male that had left in an Uber about two hours prior.
Due to the current status of the child officers dispatched EMS to the scene to check out the child. Child Protective Services was also contacted for an immediate response where they met the child at a local hospital where he was sent to be evaluated.
Officers continued to investigate the whereabouts of the child’s guardians and were allowed access into room 105 to check for adults. Upon entry officers found a messy hotel room with old food all over and the tv was playing a calming video of falling rain. The one bed in the room was soiled where the child was allegedly laying at and a metal smoking pipe was found on the nightstand with burnt marijuana residue in it, the report states. Officers were able to locate a backpack with children’s clothes in it and a winter coat which were brought to the hospital. Officers were also able to locate a receipt with two names on it. Officers advised dispatch to run the names in an attempt to get a hold of the guardians of this child.
Upon receiving the information associated with the names dispatch attempted to make contact using the phone numbers attached to the names with no luck. Dispatch advised Gary Police to check the address associated with the names but officers said no one answered the door at the Gary address. After several more attempts to make contact via a cell phone to a male he finally answered telling officers he had left the child there while he was asleep and was only planning on being away a short time. The male told police he was on his way back and it would be a short time before he could meet the officer at the hotel. After two more calls to the man asking how much longer till he would be back at the hotel the man stated he was with a friend and would be back in 10 minutes which was approximately at 9:20 PM.
When the man finally arrived back to the hotel he stated, “I left the child in the room asleep to run and get some stuff.” He also advised officers he has done this previously and there was no issues. Police advised the man that it appeared he had been gone for over 3 hours and that he left a 3 year old to try to care for himself. Dennis advised he understood that and didn’t feel it was a major problem. Officers then asked the man for the mother’s contact information. Officers attempted the number given several times with no success. The man stated she was at her job at Target somewhere in IL and left about 1 PM and would not be back till 3 AM.
Officers then advised the man now identified as Dennis Drake Cardwell Jr., 23 of Gary that he was being charged with Neglect of a Dependent which is a Level 6 Felony. He was transported to the Porter County Jail.
