A Lorain man has been cited for endangering children after leaving them home alone while he took their
mother to work.
Bowling Green police were dispatched to the 200 block of East Napoleon Road Tuesday around 10:30 p.m.
about a report of a child who appeared to be home alone. The caller was speaking to a child was believed
to be around 6 years old through a second-floor window.
When police arrived and knocked on the apartment door, a voice which sounded like a young girl asked who
it was. When she was told it was the police, she opened the door in her pajamas with a blanket wrapped
around her.
When asked if there were any parents around, she said her mom was at work and her dad had just left.
Another child, age 1, wearing only a diaper appeared from a back bedroom. Officers entered the bedroom
and found a 6-month-old, who was sleeping on the bed wearing pajamas.
When asked, the oldest child did not know where her mom worked and could only give a first name.
According to the police report, there were no phones in the apartment and the lease was in the former
tenant’s name.
Officers searched for mail or paperwork that would identify the parents and found a package which was
later determined to have the mother’s name on it.
After being at the apartment for 10-15 minutes, a vehicle pulled up and a man claiming to be the father
appeared at the door.
Cordell Howe, 29, admitted to taking the mother to work in North Baltimore and thought the children would
be fine for a short time.
He said they had moved to Bowling Green two days ago and had no family or friends nearby to watch the
children as he drove the mother to work so she wouldn’t lose her job.
Officers told Howe it was not safe to leave a 6-year-old to care for a 1-year-old and an infant.
Several unsuccessful attempts were made to call the mother and Howe could not provide the names and dates
of birth of the children.
When police were finally able to contact the mother, she said they had left the children alone because
the infant was ill and she didn’t want to take him out in the cold weather.
According to the report, sh said the oldest child was able to use a phone to call for help; there was no
phone in the apartment.
She said she understood it was unsafe to leave the children alone, but she was working to support her
family. She then said it would never happen again.
The report was forwarded to Wood County Job and Family Services.