GRAND HAVEN, Mich. – A Michigan couple is accused of leaving their 4-month-old child inside a vehicle in freezing weather, authorities said.
Philip James Nass III, 32, and Crystal Maria Kanouse, 30, both of Grand Haven, were arrested on Thursday, according to Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office online booking records. Nass is facing one count of child abuse and one count of being a habitual offender, while Kanouse is facing one count of child abuse, according to WZZM-TV.
The Grand Haven Department of Public Safety said that the incident occurred on Jan. 29.
According to the agency, Nass and Kanouse had pulled over on a side street in Grand Haven and allegedly passed out in the vehicle, The Holland Sentinel reported. The couple allegedly passed out in the front seat and the baby was in the back seat, unsecured in an infant carrier. The child was not wearing winter clothing or socks and did not have a blanket, according to the newspaper.
A passerby noticed the vehicle and the occupants and called 911, MLive.com reported.
According to the GHDPS, the baby’s feet were blue and his skin was cold to the touch, WZZM reported.
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The child was taken to an area hospital and has since recovered, according to the television station.
“We are grateful for the person that stopped and called 911,” Director of Public Safety Jeff Hawke said in a statement. “The baby very likely would have died had he remained in the car.”
On Wednesday, detectives secured felony arrest warrants for Nass and Kanouse, who were booked into the Ottawa County Jail, WZZM reported.
Bail was $50,000 cash for both suspects, according to the Sentinel.
