2 facing charges after young child wandered into business alone twice, police say

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. (KFVS) – Two people are facing charges after police say a young child wandered into a business alone twice.

Jamie Hardesty, 33, of Poplar Bluff, and Jesse Schaeding, 35, of Poplar Bluff, are facing charges of abuse or neglect of a child.

According to Poplar Bluff police, they responded to a business in the 700 block of E. Pine Street on Monday, October 1 for a report of an unattended child.

They say the child came to the store unattended, left the store and was later picked up by an adult, who walked the child to a nearby home.

Officers found the child and the child’s parents and said they learned there was a history of similar incidents.

In this case, police say the child had wandered off while outside with the parents.

Later, police say they were called back to the business after the same child came in unattended again. They took the child home and learned the parents were not aware the child had left.

According to police, the parents were arrested and the children in the home were left in the care of a family member.

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