On Tuesday of this week (July 12th) the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office received a call about a male subject walking along County Road 97.

When deputies arrived, they approached 24 year old Justin Tyrone Pinkney, of Ft Payne, to see what was going on, and Pinkney stated his vehicle had broken down and that he left his children in the vehicle.

As deputies reached that vehicle, they noticed a small child standing beside the vehicle,  and an infant in the back seat.  The children appeared to have been left there for some time, and at that point, employees with the Department of Human Resources, and DeKalb County Investigators were called to the scene.

Pinkney was arrested and charged with Endangering Welfare of Child.

Sheriff Harris says “When the weather is this hot outside it puts everybody in danger to heat exhaustion or something worse if they are left in a vehicle for a long period of time without air. Thanks to the citizens that called this in we were able to get these kids out of this situation and thanks to the deputies, investigators and DHR for their quick response in this case.”