Evgeniy Dorman, New Jersey Dad, Charged After His 10-Month-Old Baby Was Seen Crawling Across A Busy Highway
A New Jersey dad is in hot water after his baby was captured on video allegedly crawling across a busy street and he failed to give authorities a satisfactory explanation as to why, The Asbury Park Press is reporting. The incident happened on September 22, but the man was only arrested late last week.
Last Saturday, Cory M. Cannon was driving down Joe Parker Road – a busy highway with a speed limit of 40 miles per hour – at about 6:00 p.m. when he noticed what he at first thought was a doll in the road. However, when the “doll” moved, Cannon realized to his horror that a baby was in the middle of the street.
What happened next caused an intense controversy on social media: Cannon snapped a picture of the baby — which he later posted on Facebook, in a post that has since been deleted. Then he went to help the infant. Cannon caught hell on social media for taking a picture before he helped the young child.
Controversy about Cannon’s choices aside, he then tried to figure out what was going on. He scooped the infant into his harms to get him or her out of danger, and then got the young child out of the street.
BREAKING: Police have charged the father of a 10-month-old baby that was found crawling across Joe Parker Road on Sept. 22. https://t.co/AQHdaawfPE
— Asbury Park Press (@AsburyParkPress) September 28, 2018
A neighbor saw what was going on and directed Cannon back to the infant’s home. Cannon would later claim that, when he knocked on the door — which was ajar — a child answered. The adults in the home — it’s not clear how many — claimed that they were unaware that the infant had gotten outside.
Police and Child Protective Services were then called.
On Friday, the baby’s father, Evgeniy Dorman, surrendered himself to police. He has been charged with cruelty and neglect of a child, a fourth-degree crime. It is unclear why it took six days for Dorman to be taken into custody.
Neighbors say that the whole thing is simply a tragic accident, describing the family as “devoted” parents who simply made a mistake. One neighbor, who asked not to be identified, said that this whole thing is a tragedy for the family, and that they don’t deserve the hate they’re getting on social media.
“It’s devastating what people are saying on social media. I’m personally destroyed by this because I know the family.”
Another said that if the family needed help taking care of the children, a neighbor would have stepped up if only they’d been asked.
“We are all people of means. If we felt there was a problem with the family, we would have gotten them the help they needed. We are a community that takes care of each other.”
It is unclear, as of this writing, when Dorman will appear in court.
