Father arrested after leaving 6-year-old daughter to sleep outside Target to hold place in line
John-Michael Dooly left his daughter unattended around 1 a.m. while he went home to warm up; child taken into custody by social services.
A 35-year-old man in Charleston, South Carolina, was arrested after leaving his 6-year-old daughter to sleep outside a Target store so he could hold his place in line for a limited-edition run of collector Pokémon cards.
According to reports, John-Michael Dooly (35) left the child on the sidewalk with a pillow and a blanket at about 1 a.m. while he went home to warm up. Witnesses said the girl was unattended on the pavement and that worried people in the queue called police when the father did not return.
Witnesses alerted officers; father detained on return
After more than an hour had passed with the father still absent, bystanders notified authorities. When Dooly returned, officers took him into custody. During questioning, the 35-year-old reportedly admitted he had gone home to warm up and left the child alone so he would not lose his place in line for the sought-after cards.
The girl was not physically injured. Child protective services immediately took custody of her, and prosecutors filed criminal charges against Dooly for endangering the life of and neglecting a child.
The incident drew alarm from local residents who were waiting for the store to open and led to a police response in the early hours. The case remains under investigation.
Photo: AI ilustracija
