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Boy Left In Van, Officials Say

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By STEPHEN THOMPSON The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 20, 2007

DUNEDIN - A St. Petersburg man was arrested Thursday night on charges he left a 7-year-old boy in a van while he worked his shift several blocks away, Pinellas County sheriff's officials said.

Don Swartout, 59, of 6649 31st Terrace N., is charged with child neglect. Pinellas sheriff's Sgt. Jim Bordner would not say what the relationship is between Swartout and the boy, except to say they are related.

Shortly after 8 p.m., a citizen found the boy alone in a blue 1993 Ford van in the parking lot of The Church Of The Good Shepherd, 639 Edgewater Drive, Bordner said.

After deputies arrived, they approached the van, which was parked with the engine off and the front windows open, Bordner said. The boy was crying and he was only able to provide his first name, Bordner said.
Deputies say the victim had soiled himself, and he told them he was hungry and thirsty, Bordner said.

The suspect was contacted at his place of employment, Consumer Sales Solutions, 537 Douglas Ave., which is several blocks away from the church.
Swartout returned to the van with deputies and acknowledged leaving the child alone and unsupervised, Bordner said.
Deputies say he told them a schedule change at work left him without child care and for that reason he has been bringing the child to work with him over the past week.

Sheriff's spokeswoman Marianne Pasha said it's unclear how long the child was in the van. Swartout's work shift was 3-11 p.m. Witnesses said Thursday night that they had seen the child in the van at least this week, Pasha said.
Swartout said he had parked the van at the church because he thought it was a safe place and that he had been checking on the child during his breaks, Bordner said.

The suspect was arrested on one count of child neglect, and members of the Sheriff's Office Child Protection Investigation Division took custody of the child.

Reporter Ray Reyes contributed to this report. Reporter Stephen Thompson can be reached at (727) 451-2336 or spthompson @tampatrib.com.

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