CASEYVILLE, Ill. (AP) -- Authorities in St. Clair County have filed child endangerment charges against a Columbia, Mo., couple who allegedly fell asleep in a Caseyville motel room after leaving an infant and toddler in a running van outside.
Police say they first found 29-year-old Benjamin Atkins and 28-year-old Jaymie Bowling asleep in their van Friday morning in a McDonald's parking lot. A 7-month-old boy and another boy, almost 2, were in the back seat.
Police told the couple to return to a motel where they were staying while Bowling worked at a Caseyville strip club.
Police later got a call about two unattended children in a van.
The parents were found in their motel room. Officers say Atkins appeared confused and said he thought the children were in the room with them.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
