Grandmother charged with child endangerment after baby she was caring for found in ditch

FERGUS FALLS, MN (KVLY/Gray News ) – A Minnesota woman is in jail for allegedly drinking alcohol while watching her grandson and leaving the child outside in the rain.

According to the Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office, deputies received a call around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday for a child welfare check.

A man told authorities he saw a woman walking near Cedar Park Loop with no shoes on and holding an infant.

The caller said he slowed down to ask if the woman was OK and she said she was, but he pulled over and suddenly lost sight of the woman and the baby.

Authorities said the man then searched the area for the child after seeing the woman run away and eventually found the infant lying on the ground in a ditch.

He picked up the child and called the police.

Deputies found the woman, later identified as Anastasia Elizabeth Vaughn, while she was walking in nearby woods. She was identified as the baby’s grandmother.

According to court documents, Vaughn was stumbling, her eyes were bloodshot and watery, her speech was slurred and she smelled of alcohol.

“(She) looked confused and said she was looking for a child, but couldn’t answer specific questions,” shared one of the deputies.

Vaughn’s husband told authorities he didn’t know why she went out with the baby, but confirmed his wife had been drinking earlier that day

The child’s parents were contacted and soon arrived at the scene, authorities said.

She was taken into custody and booked into the Otter Tail County Jail on a child endangerment charge.

“She said she did not remember what happened, and when asked how much she had drunk, she did not answer,” court records state.

The sheriff’s office said a preliminary breath alcohol test showed a .229.

Authorities said temperatures in the area that evening were near 50 degrees Fahrenheit with wind and rain.

In Minnesota, child endangerment is a felony with a maximum penalty of 364 days in jail and/or a $3,000 fine.