A 37-year-old father faces charges after leaving his 4-year-old child abandoned while he visited bars in Austin.

The incident was reported after midnight Saturday in the downtown area.

The child, a 4-year-old boy, was discovered in the rear seat of a van parked in a lot near the downtown plaza. Eyewitnesses spotted the boy left alone and reported it to police.

The officer took the child from the unlocked van. Later, when officers searched downtown bars and the plaza parking lot for the adult male, the father was discovered.

The man denied leaving the child alone for longer than 15 minutes although officers spent a longer period of time search for the man after discovering the child, according to police reports.

The Mower County Department of Human Services was notified. The father faces child endangerment and neglect charges, according to police.

Landlord reports theft

A North Main Street landlord believes a renter may have stolen $15,000 in cash, plus jewelry and birth certificates.

According to an Austin Police Department report, the woman reported the theft from a safe in a closet in her apartment in the

300 block of North Main Street. She believes it occurred April 6 and identified a renter of another apartment as a possible suspect

The incident remains under investigation, according to Austin police.

Woman arrested for drug possession

A 44-year -old Glenville woman faces drug and other charges after a traffic stop late Friday.

According to an Austin Police Department report, an officer on routine patrol spotted a vehicle leaving the roadway and parking behind a commercial building in the 1100 block of 8th Avenue Northeast near

11:29 p.m. Friday.

When the officer investigated, he discovered the driver, a 44 year old woman

who gave a Glenville address, and her 16 year old female passenger.

The officer also discovered a box in plain sight on the floor of the vehicle, which contained cigarette papers, a "joint" believed to contain marijuana, plastic baggies containing a substance believed to be marijuana and a pink powder in a plastic bag. The latter tested positive as methamphetamine in the amount of 5,7 grams, according to police.

The adult woman was taken into custody and the juvenile was referred to juvenile authorities.

Lee Bonorden can be reached at 434-2232 or by e-mail at :mailto:lee.bonorden@austindailyherald.com