A shuttle driver in suburban Evergreen Park was charged with child endangerment for leaving a young boy unattended after forgetting to drop him off at an after-school program, according to police.
Keitheia Adkins, 61, was charged with endangering the life of a child in connection with the Dec. 13 incident. At around 4:45 p.m. that afternoon, a man approached an officer at 89th and California Avenue to report a missing boy who had been last seen in the 8700 block of Washtenaw Avenue, police said.
Officers learned the boy had been picked up by a shuttle service and was supposed to be dropped off at an after-school program. At 2:57 p.m., the shuttle van driver became ill and went went to her home, leaving the child inside the vehicle alone, police said. About 16 minutes later, the driver exited the residence, got into a different vehicle and left the area. At 4:18 p.m., police said a second woman exited the home, opened the van's door and appeared to check the shuttle. The driver then returned 10 minutes later and was apparently looking for the boy, police said.
The missing child was located in the 8800 block of South 55th Court in Oak Lawn at around 4:47 p.m. He was unharmed and reunited with a parent, police said.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Evergreen Park Police Department at 708-422-2144.
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