A Glendale man is facing serious charges after his young son was found alone and in distress near a busy roadway while he allegedly drank inside a bar, police reported. Miguel Silva, Jr., 38, left his 5-year-old child in a vehicle late Friday night, with temperatures hovering at a chilly 45 degrees. The boy, discovered in soiled clothes, sought aid from strangers in a restaurant near 51st Avenue and Camelback Road, as stated in court documents.
The incident unfolded just before 1 a.m. on Saturday when patrons at the restaurant noticed the young child, who had wandered away from a car in search of his father—an employee at the neighboring Westside Cocktail Lounge ushered him back to her place of work, however, the father was nowhere to be found, leading her to contact authorities, at approximately 12:45 a.m., the AZFamily reported. The boy waited in her office she called for police assistance. Police said they located Silva inside the bar after employees tipped them to a patron trying to close his tab with a credit card bearing Silva’s name officers quickly pieced the situation together.
According to the police report, Silva appeared inebriated and was slurring his words upon arrest, repeatedly apologizing and incorrectly stating that the child was with his mother; the mother later confirmed she had not seen the boy since he went to school Friday morning. The police found no warm clothing or blankets in the car, which was cold to touch, indicating it had been off for some time, mentioned in a statement obtained by 12 News.
A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed a loaded gun and a bag of white powder along with ammo magazines, as per court documents obtained by 12 News. Surveillance footage showed Silva parking his Lexus around 10:55 p.m., corroborating the timeline of events; Silva, who admitted the gun was his, now faces multiple felony charges, including child abuse and endangerment the child was returned safely to his mother.
