LEWISBURG, W.Va. (WVDN) – A Lewisburg man is under investigation after police say his 4-year-old son was found wandering alone in the early morning hours Thursday and was nearly struck by a vehicle outside an apartment complex.
Officers with the Lewisburg Police Department responded to Lewis Terrace Apartments around 5:43 a.m. on April 24 after a caller reported nearly hitting a small child who was alone in the roadway. According to a criminal complaint, officers arrived at the scene and located the child. While searching for the child’s guardian, officers discovered an apartment door ajar where a woman reported that someone may have been in her home.
Further investigation led officers to another apartment with its door propped open by a wooden chair. A man identified as Brycen Scott Johnson came out of the unit and stated the child was his.
Johnson told police that a female friend helps him watch his son while he works. He claimed he was unaware of how the child had gotten out.
Security footage reviewed by police showed Johnson arriving at the complex between 1 and 1:30 a.m. with the child and returning to the apartment, where he propped the door open and did not appear to close it afterward. The footage later showed the child exiting the apartment unsupervised around 4:55 a.m.
Officers noted a strong odor of alcohol on Johnson, who admitted to drinking two beers the previous night, with the last consumed around 11 p.m. A preliminary breath test administered at 7 a.m. showed his blood alcohol content at 0.079%.
Child Protective Services was notified, and a caseworker arrived on scene. Johnson agreed to temporarily place the child in their care while the investigation continues.
Johnson reportedly told officers he had no memory of picking up his son the night before and was unsure how the child had managed to leave the apartment. The investigation remains ongoing.
Johnson is in Southern Regional Jail at the time of publishing with bail set at $20,000.
