LEWALLEN Children - 18 months, 3 and 4 yo - / Accused: William Todd Lewallen, father - Tulsa, OK

Police: Neighbors Who Found Naked 4-Year-Old Locked Outside Saved His Life
Posted: Nov 12, 2012 9:25 PM CST Updated: Nov 13, 2012 10:06 AM CST

Lacie Lowry, News On 6 - bio | email

TULSA, Oklahoma -
Child crisis investigators are crediting alert neighbors for saving a Tulsa boy's life.

He was naked outside in 40-degree weather. The boy's screams didn't wake his father, so neighbors stepped in.

Police found the boy's sister in a dog crate inside, and now investigators are trying to figure out how the kids wound up in this situation.

Tulsa Police interviewed 47-year-old William Todd Lewallen first after arresting him for child neglect at his home.

They want to know how his naked 4-year-old son got locked out in the cold and how his 18-month-old daughter got stuck in a dog crate, covered in feces.

11/12/2012 Related Story: Screaming Tulsa Toddler Found Locked In Dog Crate

But investigators say Lewallen didn't have many answers, because he was passed out when it happened.

"He was asleep and he couldn't have rescued those kids if anything had happened to them or if they were injured," said TPD Child Crisis investigator Corporal Greg Smith.

Police say Lewallen was on prescription drugs and had been drinking.

Neighbors heard the little boy outside.

"And he was shaking … and I'm not going to leave that boy out here to freeze. It made me cry real bad, I've got babies, too and I've heard horror stories, but I've never seen it in real life," said neighbor Matt Testerman.

Police believe the little boy was locked out for at least 20 minutes.

"It was 40 degrees at the time, then it was 28 last night. He could have developed a medical condition or even death," Smith said.

When police arrived, they heard a girl screaming inside the home and saw the 18-month-old in a dog crate.

"All I could see was part of her hand, trying to get out, I guess, I don't know—freaked me out," Testerman said.

Police had to break through the door to rescue her and Lewallen slept through the whole thing, next to another one of his young children, who was also naked.

Corporal Smith said he hopes the children can give details about what happened, while their father was asleep, and he credits neighbors for caring enough to step in.

"Sometimes people don't want to get involved when they see or hear something that's not right or not their business. But he may have saved that kid's life," Smith said.

The three children are in DHS custody and are okay.

There will be a hearing in a few days to determine whether the children can return home with their mother, who was at work when this happened.

http://www.newson6.com/story/20078223/police-neighbors-who-found-4-year-old-locked-outside-naked-saved-his-life

TULSA, Oklahoma -
Tulsa police say one naked toddler was locked up in a dog crate Sunday evening and another outside naked while the temperature was in the 40s. Their father, William Todd Lewallen, 47, was arrested for felony child neglect.

Officers went to a home in the 4900 block of North Frankfort Place just before 6 p.m. after a neighbor reported hearing a child crying outside for over 20 minutes. Neighbors said they went to investigate and found a naked 4-year-old boy outside in the back yard.

"We heard it when it first started, he started screaming and crying 'Daddy, I'm cold and scared; I'm cold, I'm scared daddy,'" said Bodan Jacobs.

Bodan and Toker Jacobs, and Matt Testerman, all rushed to help when they heard the screams. Matt went through the brush between the houses and saw a little boy locked out in the cold.

"I could see him crawling up the stairs banging on the back door and then I saw, 'Oh my God, come here, you're naked' and I said 'come here,' and he didn't want to, but I said 'come here, you're freezing,'" said Matt Testerman.

The Jacobs took him in and got him warmed up.

"He was cold and he didn't want to go anywhere once Matt gave him to me. We got him dressed and I told him 'you're OK, ain't nothing to happen to you now,'" Bodan said.

Several neighbors heard the screams, and it wasn't just the naked boy outside.

"When officers arrived they spoke with the neighbor and investigated further," said Officer Leland Ashley with the Tulsa Police Department.

"As they approached the house they could hear screaming and crying coming from inside."

Looking through a small window into the back of the house, police could see a naked child locked in a metal dog crate, Ashley said.

Police kicked open the back door and removed a 18-month-old girl from the kennel.

"Upon entry officers were immediately hit with the overwhelming stench of feces," Ashley said. The toddler in the cage was covered in feces, according to police.

"We found another naked toddler asleep in a bed in the master bedroom. William Lewallen Sr. was passed out in the bed," the arresting officer said in his report.

Police say Lewallen told them he took narcotic pain medicine, a muscle relaxant and an anti-seizure medication with a beer then "laid down to take a rest." There was an open beer next to the bed, officers said.

"The defendant was unaware that a naked child had been locked out of his house and was outside in the 40 degree weather for over 20 minutes," the arrest report states.

"The screaming child in the dog kennel did not wake the defendant nor did the officers kicking the door down to rescue the toddler in the dog cage."

Lewallen is being held on a $50,000 bond. His next court date is set for November 19, 2012.

According to Tulsa County court records, Lewallen has been convicted in the past of joyriding and possession of a precursor to manufacture a controlled drug - methamphetamine.

The three children are now in Department of Human Services custody.

http://www.newson6.com/story/20072548/screaming-tulsa-toddler-found-locked-in-dog-crate

At least they are alive. I'm afraid that the mother knew the problems and she may not care for the children as needed. Hopefully DHS will find out for the kids safety.
William

I saw a photo of this POS father at one of the newspaper links and I could tell immediate he was a meth addict. With those charges, why was he allowed to be around kids. And why in heck would the mother leave them with a drug addict? I hope those kids are placed in a safe home. What a horrible way to live.

Hearing set for mom in Tulsa child neglect case
May 02, 2013 04:14 CDT

TULSA, Okla. (AP) -- A Tulsa mother charged with child neglect after police discovered a child locked in a metal dog cage and her husband passed out on drugs and alcohol in the house is expected in court.

The hearing for the woman will be Thursday morning in Tulsa district court.

The Associated Press is not naming the father or mother to protect the child's identity.

Police found the father's 22-month-old daughter locked in the animal crate in November. A 3-year-old was also wandering around naked outside and another 3-year-old naked and unsupervised.

Court records indicate the man was responsible for caring for all three children and that he was passed out inside the house.

The husband faces an October trial; his wife waived her right to a jury trial last month.

http://www.okcfox.com/template/inews_wire/wires.regional.ok/26ef2ffd-www.okcfox.com.shtml

About time they charged the mother. Hope the kids are ok, no information on them. William