Formal charges have been filed by prosecutors in Miller County against a Texarkana man who left a toddler behind when he attempted to flee from police.
Kenneth Wayne Brooks Jr., 24, was taken into custody after a brief foot chase in the early hours of Oct. 12, according to previous reports. Brooks was pulled over for having expired or fictitious tags on his car when Texarkana, Ark., police officers noticed him leaving the Knights Inn Motel parking lot. A small child was seen standing in the car's back seat.
While talking to police, Brooks allegedly put the 16-month-old child he was holding on the ground and ran. An officer stayed with the youngster while two others chased and caught Brooks at a nearby apartment complex.
Brooks is accused of being in possession of less than 2 grams of amphetamine at the time of his arrest. Deputy Prosecuting Attorney David Cotton signed off on formal charges of possession of a controlled substance and endangering the welfare of a minor this week. Both offenses are punishable by a fine up to $10,000 and up to six years in prison.
But those may not be Brooks' only legal troubles. At the time of his most recent arrest, Brooks was serving multiple four-year terms of probation for breaking and entering in Miller County, which began after a guilty plea in August 2016. Prosecutors may file motions to revoke Brooks' probations, increasing the amount of time he could face in prison.