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Hastings man jailed two years over baby found in ditch

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 27 Oct, 00:31 · Archive

A Hastings man has been sentenced to two years in jail for his role in a case involving a 15-month-old child found in an Adams County ditch.

Austin Hendrick, 31, of Hastings, Nebraska, was sentenced to two years in jail over the case of a 15-month-old child found in an Adams County ditch. He received one year for misdemeanor child abuse and an additional year for obstruction of a police officer. A felony child abuse charge was dropped as part of a plea bargain. Hendrick will receive 280 days' credit for time already served on each count and must pay court fees after his release.

On 4 October, the child was found alive in a ditch at the 2,000 block of South Marian Road by a concerned citizen, who reported it to the sheriff's office. Deputies arrived shortly after 8 a.m. The child was found healthy and unharmed.

Court records detailing the circumstances are sealed. However, a court hearing on Monday revealed that the child was in Hendrick's care at the time. Hendrick's attorney said his client denied abandoning the baby in the ditch but acknowledged that he failed to contact law enforcement immediately after discovering the child was missing. Judge Morgan Farquhar said this demonstrated negligence, calling the outcome 'a miracle' and noting that worse harm could easily have occurred.

Hastings man jailed two years over baby found in ditch
Image: 1011Now

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In this story: Austin Hendrick · Adams County · Hastings · Judge Morgan Farquhar

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