Parents abandon toddler in Arizona heat to play ‘Pokémon Go’

Detailed by the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office in Arizona, two parents have been charged with child neglect and endangerment after abandoning their 2-year-old son to go play Pokémon Go. As described in the press release, 27-year-old Brent Daley and his 25-year-old wife, Brianna, left their child alone in 90-degree heat without any water.

Spotted by a neighbor around 10:30 p.m., the toddler was found crying outside the Daley’s home while attempting to get inside. Dressed in a t-shirt and diaper, the authorities described the boy’s condition as “red faced, sweaty and dirty.” While the sun had already set, the temperature in Arizona usually remains in the upper nineties until early morning during the summer. When the child was discovered, the outdoor temperature was 96 degrees.

brianna-brent-daley-pokemon-go — Image used with permission by copyright holder

After the deputies moved the toddler into an air conditioned area, they located a phone number for Brent Daley and called to notify the parents of the toddler’s condition. Possibly perturbed that police officers interrupted the time he was spending catching virtual creatures, Brent Daley responded “Whatever” before hanging up on the deputies.

Approximately an hour after the police arrived at the scene, the couple returned home and claimed the boy was supposed to be sleeping inside the house while they went to get gas. However, further inquiry from the deputies discovered that the couple were “driving around San Tan Valley, stopping at parks and other places to interact with the game.”

The couple were immediately taken into custody while their son was taken away by Arizona’s Department of Child Services. Since the arrest last week, the couple have been released from police custody on bail. It’s likely that the Daley’s will need to retain the services of an attorney in order to face the charges as well as attempt to regain custody of their son.

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