The father of a 2-year-old girl turned himself into the police on Friday after allegedly fabricating a story about finding the girl in a stroller on the Near West Side, CBS News reports.
The bizarre story began on May 4 when 23-year-old Clint Ross reported finding an abandoned girl in a stroller near the intersection of Ashland and Roosevelt. It turned out, however, that Ross wasn’t just a concerned citizen, but the girl’s dad.
Ross reportedly abandoned his daughter in her stroller last week. Before the girl was discovered by others, however, Ross himself reported the abandoned child to the police, claiming he was just a concerned citizen.
Police began investigating Ross after discovering that the man had given them a false name and phone number. A week after reporting the bogus abandonment, Ross turned himself into the police, admitting the hoax.
According to police, Ross said that he regretted his actions and should’ve taken the girl to stay with relatives. Police charged Ross with contributing to the neglect of a child.
Under the state’s Neglected Children Offense Act, any parent who knowingly or willfully causes, aids, or encourages a child to become a dependent or neglected child has contributed to the neglect of a child. A “neglected child” is any child under the age of 18 who is destitute, homeless, or abandoned. If the allegations against Ross are accurate, then he contributed to the neglect of his daughter by abandoning the 2-year-old girl.
Clint Ross’ 2-year-old daughter was originally taken to the UIC Medical Center upon being found. She was later turned over to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.
Related Resources:
- Find a Chicago Family Law Attorney (FindLaw)
- Dad Turns Self in after Abandoning Toddler on Near West Side: Cops (Chicago Sun-Times)
- Illinois Child Abuse Laws (FindLaw)
- Abuse and Neglect Laws (FindLaw)
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