Osage County Man Charged With Mail Theft Leaves Child Behind

In an update to a story that we brought to you last week in which an Osage County man was charged with second-degree burglary and grand larceny, he is now being charged with child neglect.
On Thursday evening, Osage County Deputies located the suspect, and the boy’s father, Dominic Saunders on foot. Saunders refused to tell deputies how he had gotten there and made no mention of his missing child in the woods.
Later that evening, squad officers were dispatched to a missing juvenile at 5100 N. Lewis Ave. The female who made the call couldn’t be located, but officers contacted her by phone and learned that her six-year old cousin had wandered off into a field. Officers obtained a phone number for the six-year old child, who said his father had left him alone in the woods. The boy said he didn’t know where he was.
After nearly two hours of searching by officers, air support and aid from dispatch, they were able to ping the boy’s phone around 6900 N. Phoenix Ave. in Osage County. When officers arrived on the scene, they saw car lights and heard a car horn. He was hungry, but unharmed in the vehicle.
Officers say that it could have been a long time before anyone happened upon the vehicle because of where the car was located. The boy went home safely with his aunt.