An Alabama pastor has been charged with endangering the welfare of a child after allegedly leaving his young child in the car while drinking at a bar and then dining at a separate restaurant.
John Gibson, who had been serving as associate pastor of families at First Baptist Dothan, has since been let go by the church.
According to WTVY, eye witnesses saw Gibson leave his child, who is under the age of 5, in the car on Saturday evening and into the early hours of Sunday morning.
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First, Gibson allegedly had drinks at a bar before driving across the parking lot to eat at a 24-hour restaurant.
Dothan Police Lt. Scott Owens told WDHN that police were called to the scene at around 2 a.m. after receiving reports that the child was strapped into a car seat in the back of Gibson’s vehicle while Gibson drank and dined.
When police arrived, they first looked for Gibson at the bar before being informed that he had moved to the nearby restaurant. The child was still in the car.
When police made contact with Gibson, they took him into custody.
The child was unharmed and was kept in the custody of the Alabama Department of Human Resources until family members arrived.
Police said that it is unknown how long the child had been left alone but that a child of that age should not be left in a car for any period of time.
