A grandmother from Swan Lake, 52-year-old Anastasia Vaughn, has been charged with child endangerment after allegedly leaving her infant grandchild in a roadside ditch. On Tuesday afternoon, a witness noticed Vaughn barefoot in the rain, holding an infant along the roadside, where temperatures were in the low 50s with wind and rain. The witness stopped to check on her, but Vaughn claimed she was fine and continued on foot.
Moments later, the witness saw Vaughn entering a ditch and realized she was no longer holding the baby. After discovering the infant lying on the ground, the witness contacted authorities. Deputies soon found Vaughn in a nearby wooded area, showing signs of intoxication and appearing confused as she claimed to be searching for a child. Vaughn’s husband, who had been watching their grandchildren with her earlier, reported seeing her run from home with the infant, unaware of her intentions. He also confirmed she had been drinking earlier in the day.
Vaughn was arrested and booked into the Otter Tail County Detention Facility. In her statement, she could not recall what happened and declined to disclose how much she had to drink. Her preliminary breathalyzer test registered a blood alcohol level of .229. Vaughn made her first court appearance Thursday morning.