Parents charged after allegedly losing child on Hilton Head beach while intoxicated
A mother and father were arrested after allegedly losing their son while “grossly intoxicated” at a Hilton Head Island beach over the weekend, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.
The 48-year-old woman and 55-year-old man, both Bluffton residents, were charged Saturday with cruelty to children and public disorderly conduct, inmate records show. Both offenses are misdemeanors.
Beaufort County deputies arrived at the north-island Fish Haul Beach Park around 5 p.m. Saturday after receiving a call about intoxicated parents allegedly “failing to look after their child,” according to a sheriff’s office incident report.
Police found the couple near the beach’s entrance, noting they both smelled of alcohol, had “severely slurred speech” and were struggling to stand upright, the report claims. After being informed of the complaints against them, the parents told police their elementary-age child had run off in the direction of the parking lot less than 10 minutes earlier, according to sheriff’s office spokesperson Lt. Daniel Allen.
Parents couldn’t provide info on missing son, police claim
The parents could only provide police with a small amount of “worthy information” about their missing son, the report alleges. When police asked them for a picture of the child to help with their search, both parents said they had lost their phones and their wallets, according to the police report. As police questioned the couple, “neither of them seemed even slightly concerned about the sudden disappearance of their child,” the report alleges. A deputy noted the father appeared to be annoyed while the mother “simply stared.”
Shortly after, a police sergeant found the small child “walking in the parking lot alone,” the report says. The parents had been leading police to the same area to show them where they last saw their son.
Parents charged
Both parents were accused of cruelty to children due to allegedly showing little concern for their child’s whereabouts or safety, the report says. Police added the charge of public disorderly conduct because the couple had allegedly been “grossly intoxicated” on a public beach, a deputy wrote.
The couple was taken to the Beaufort County Detention Center and booked Saturday evening while their son was picked up by his uncle, who lives on Hilton Head, according to the incident report.
Both parents were released from jail Sunday afternoon on personal recognizance bonds, meaning they will not be required to pay the bond amounts unless they violate court conditions.
Cruelty to children, defined as mistreating or inflicting “unnecessary pain or suffering” upon a child in one’s care, is punishable by up to 30 days in prison or a fine of up to $200 under South Carolina law.
The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette do not publish the names of individuals who were charged with misdemeanor crimes unless the accused is a public figure or if revealing their name is a matter of public interest.
