Man Wakes Up In Jail, Remembers Leaving Kids In Truck Night Before: Police Go On Mad Search


An interesting drama out of Merced, California, resulted in a panic situation after a man woke up in jail.

Joshua Jaboneta woke up Wednesday morning after spending the night in jail and realized he left his two kids locked in his truck. Authorities in North Valley went on a mad search to find the two little boys.

Action News 30 reports that the two boys were found in good condition, but suffering from hypothermia. They remain in the hospital being looked after.

Prior to waking up and remembering his kids the next morning, Jaboneta was arrested Tuesday night. A homeowner reported seeing someone breaking into cars, homes, and businesses. Sgt. Bob Chapman with the Merced Police Department says Jaboneta at one point “ripped a door off its hinges, walked inside one of the apartment complexes, and actually physically picked up a woman who was sleeping on the couch, looked at her and said, ‘That’s not the person I’m looking for.'”

Police arrested Jaboneta and took him to the police station. They had no idea two children were still inside the suspect’s vehicle.

When Jaboneta woke up in jail, he suddenly remembered his kids. Sgt. Chapman has a good explanation as to why the man forgot about his kids during his arrest.

“It’s my understanding that he had been on some kind of a narcotic. When he was coming down off of it, he realized he didn’t know where his children were and that he was in jail.”

Looking in alleyways and neighborhoods, police were able to find the children in Jaboneta’s truck, which was parked on the front lawn of an apartment complex. According to the report, the kids were inside the vehicle sitting in their car seats with the windows rolled down. Authorities say they felt like “popsicles” when they touched them. Fox 40 reports the children as being 10-months-old and 3-years-old in age.

“We were so elated that they were in the car and that they were alive and that they were well,” says Chapman.

“I’ve been here for almost 22 years and that was one of the biggest sighs of relief that I’ve ever had in my career.”

The boys still needed warming blankets in order to help bring their temperatures up. They’ll be turned over to Child Protective Services once they’re released from the hospital.

Their father is facing felony and child endangerment charges. He’s held on $102,000 bail.

[Photo Credit: Times Live]

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