Father arrested for abuse after leaving daughter to drink
Sep 11, 2012, 2:59 PM | Updated: 3:37 pm
A Mesa father was arrested over the weekend after allegedly leaving his 3-year-old daughter alone while he went to drink.
When neighbors found the girl wandering around the next morning, neighbors called police. The father returned to the area about 9:00 a.m., after police were there.
“While we were doing our investigation, the father of the child showed up,” said Mesa Police Sgt. Tony Landato. “He was being belligerent, smelled of alcohol and made claims that he had made arrangements with a babysitter to stay and watch the child. We contacted that person and that person denied that there was ever any arrangement.”
Other people corroborated the supposed babysitter’s story, Landato said.
The father, identified as Gabriel Nava, was arrested and charged with one count of child abuse.
Police said the girl is with other family members.
