A Chicago man was charged with endangering the life and health of a child after sending a toddler unaccompanied into the Jefferson Street Walmart store, police said.
The incident was allegedly sparked by an argument between the father, identified as 28-year-old Steve Lindsey of the 600 block of Newgard in Chicago, and the little girl’s mother, police said.
Cmdr. Al Roechner said a patron spotted the 2-year-old run into the Walmart store from the parking lot and alerted a manager.
Police who responded to the store reviewed surveillance video, which showed a man and a woman arguing in the parking lot next to a blue Chevy Malibu. The woman then entered the store, and the man got into the vehicle and drove out of sight of the camera.
A short time later, surveillance video showed the 2-year-old girl running into the store.
According to police, Lindsey allegedly told the girl to go into the store, telling her, “Go find your mother.”