Father Taken into Custody After 1-Year-Old Son Left Unattended in Car for Extended Period

An Alabama man has been arrested in relation to the tragic death of his 1-year-old son, who was discovered deceased in a car seat after being left alone in the vehicle for an extended period while the father went to purchase alcohol.

The authorities were alerted to the situation around 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 20, following reports from family members about a child found lifeless in a car seat at a residence in Brookwood. This was confirmed by the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office Violent Crimes Unit Captain Jack Kennedy in a statement to Us Weekly on Friday, May 22.

“Preliminary investigations indicate that the child was in the vehicle for a prolonged [period] of time,” Kennedy stated.

He added that the temperatures reached the mid-90s on the day of the boy’s death.

The child, whose name has not been publicly released but was reported by WRBC to be a boy, was in the “sole care of its father all day,” according to Kennedy.

The father has been identified as Logan Keith Chewning, who confessed to authorities that he consumed alcohol “at various times throughout” the day of the incident.

Chewning, 30, allegedly left his residence at one point to buy more alcohol, leaving his child unsupervised.

“The father claimed that he thought the child was asleep in its crib but must have been left in the vehicle,” Kennedy reported regarding Chewning’s return home.

Chewning has been charged with manslaughter and was taken into custody on May 20, as shown by the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office records reviewed by Us.

He is currently incarcerated at the Tuscaloosa County Jail facing the manslaughter charge, with a bond likely to be established by a judge at a future date.

The online records indicated that he has also been charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana. However, it remains unclear whether these charges are related to his child’s death.

It is unknown if Chewning has entered a plea or secured legal representation following his arrest. The Tuscaloosa County District Attorney’s Office has not yet responded to Us’ request for comments on the case.

An investigation into the child’s death is ongoing. The exact cause of death has not yet been determined, but officials have stated it will be assessed by the medical examiner at a later date.