NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – A librarian with the city Department of Education was arrested for leaving his 1-year-old daughter alone in a car outside a Bronx school for more than 5 hours, police said Friday.
Michael Dodes, 51, was charged with endangering the welfare of a child.
Dodes arrived at P186X on Jennings Street in Morrisania on Thursday morning and brought a box into the building.
But according to police, he left his daughter unattended in a car outside and it wasn't until 5.5 hours later that another employee saw the girl and got help.
The child was taken to Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center in stable condition.
Police are continuing to investigate the circumstances of the incident, including why the girl was left alone and what role the father played.
In a statement, a DOE spokesperson said: "We commend the heroism of the school staff member who took action to remove this child from danger. Upon learning of this incident, the school immediately contacted NYPD and EMS who responded to the scene. This employee is being reassigned away from students."
Dodes has worked in city public schools since 2007 and was slated to begin work at P186X next month, according to sources.
