Dad left toddler restrained in filthy home for hours: Police
Inset: Joshua Merz (Hamilton County Justice Center). Background: The home where Merz allegedly left his toddler alone for hours (WLWT).
A 35-year-old father in Ohio has been arrested after he allegedly “physically restrained” his 2-year-old special needs son and left the child alone in a bedroom for up to seven hours while he went to work.
Joshua Merz was taken into custody earlier this month and has since been indicted on two counts of child endangerment, authorities announced. One of the charges was filed as a felony while the other was filed as a first-degree misdemeanor.
“There is never a reason to leave a 2-year-old child home alone,” Hamilton County Prosecutor Connie Pillich said in a statement released following Merz’s arrest. “It’s our job to make sure those who cannot speak for themselves are protected. And that’s exactly what we will do in this case.”
According to a news release from the Hamilton County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, deputies with the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office on April 8, responded to a home in the 7400 block of Zion Hill Road regarding a young child being left alone inside the residence. Upon arriving at the scene, first responders described the home as being “filthy and potentially dangerous.”
Per the indictment, prosecutors said that Merz “recklessly physically restrained” the 2-year-old in a “cruel manner or for a prolonged period, “which was excessive under the circumstances and created a substantial risk of serious physical harm.”
The child’s specific special needs have not been publicly identified.
Merz was booked into the Hamilton County Justice Center and released after posting 10% of his $25,000 bond.
While the sheriff’s office said it was informed of Merz leaving the child alone by “a neighbor,” Cincinnati NBC affiliate WLWT reported that the 911 caller was actually Merz’s father, Bruce Merz.
