Shoeless grandma left infant in roadside ditch on rainy day, ran away, then told cops she was ‘looking for a child’ after day-drinking: Sheriff

A 52-year-old grandmother in Minnesota has been arrested for allegedly getting drunk and leaving her infant grandchild in a roadside ditch while it was cold, rainy, and windy outside. Anastasia E. Vaughn was taken into custody on Tuesday and charged with one count of child endangerment — placing a child in a situation that could cause harm or death, records reviewed by Law&Crime show.

Under Minnesota state law, a person guilty of child endangerment faces up to 364 days in jail and a fine of up to $3,000.

The incident took place Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, which is about 175 miles northwest of Minneapolis, Hope, North Dakota, news radio station KFGO reported.

According to the report, a driver at about 4:30 p.m. called the Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office and requested a welfare check on an infant child. A man was reportedly driving on Cedar Park Loop near Swan Lake when he came across a woman — later identified as Vaughn — who was walking in a wooded area near the road carrying a baby.

Despite the fact that it was raining, windy, and only about 50 degrees outside, the driver said that the woman was not wearing any shoes. When the man pulled over to speak to the woman, she reportedly told him that she and the child were “fine” and then kept walking.

A short while later, the man pulled over and said that he spotted the woman running away from a roadside ditch, Fargo, North Dakota NBC affiliate KVLY reported. She did not appear to be carrying the baby any longer.

The driver went to investigate and reportedly found the baby on the ground in the ditch. He reportedly picked up the infant and called 911.

Upon arriving, sheriff’s deputies said they located Vaughn walking through the woods near the ditch where the baby had been left alone. Deputies noted in an affidavit that Vaughn appeared to stumble when she walked, reeked of alcohol, and was slurring when she spoke. Her eyes were also reportedly bloodshot and watery.

Authorities quickly identified Vaughn as the baby’s grandmother, though she reportedly appeared unsure.

Deputies wrote that Vaughn “seemed confused and said she was looking for a child but was unable to answer specific questions,” per KVLY. “She said she did not remember what happened and when asked how much she had to drink she would not say.”

Vaughn’s husband — the child’s grandfather — arrived at the scene and told authorities he and his wife lived nearby and also confirmed that Vaughn had been drinking alcohol that day. Vaughn reportedly took a breath test which showed her blood alcohol content was 0.229, nearly triple the legal limit to drive in Minnesota.

Jail records show that Vaughn remained in custody at the Otter Tail County Jail on a bond of $10,000 as of Thursday.

Have a tip we should know? [email protected]