Crookston Man Charged With Child Neglect

FARGO, ND—A man from Crookston is facing felony child neglect charges after Fargo Police found him drunk and unresponsive in a running vehicle in downtown Fargo with two children in the back seat. Fargo Police responded around 1am Sunday to a report of a man passed out in a vehicle behind Bell Bank on Broadway North.  When officers arrived, they found a blue Cadillac with loud music playing, an unresponsive driver and two children asleep in the back seat.  The officers couldn’t wake the driver, Diego Fernandez, and eventually broke the passenger side window to get in.  The two children were removed from the car; they were not hurt.  Officers finally woke Fernandez, who they say showed signs of intoxication.  Fernandez refused a breath test or medical help.  Fernandez has been charged with child neglect-parental care; that’s a Class C felony.  He also faces two misdemeanor counts of actual physical contact with a minor. Fernandez’s girlfriend has custody of the children. 

(Valley News Live)