A 25-year-old man is facing child neglect charges after police say he left his 4-month-old daughter alone in the front seat of his running car so he could go out on Lower Broadway. Officers patrolling the entertainment district found the infant strapped into a car seat that was facing the wrong direction, parked near the honky-tonk bars in an area police described as heavily trafficked with disorderly and intoxicated people.
According to WSMV, Metro Nashville Police officers spotted Jordan Hayley arguing with a woman outside Jason Aldean's Kitchen + Rooftop Bar on Sunday night. That bar sits at 311 Broadway, according to the bar's listing. Officers broke up the dispute, and that's when things took a troubling turn.
The child's mother told police she was upset because Hayley was supposed to be watching their daughter, and she did not know where the baby was, per the station's report. Hayley reportedly told officers the baby should be with her maternal grandmother, but the mother denied that was possible. Police detained Hayley and took his car keys, then located his vehicle parked and running near the bars on Broadway. Inside, they found the 4-month-old girl alone in the front seat, positioned in a baby seat facing the wrong direction.
An Entertainment District Unit
The discovery happened after a police response to a street argument downtown. The Metro Nashville Police Department lists an Entertainment District Unit within its Central Precinct, according to Nashville.gov. Officers responding to the argument ultimately located the baby.
After the child was found, Hayley was arrested, and the infant was reunited with her mother. Court records show Hayley is now charged with leaving an unattended child in a motor vehicle and with child neglect, per the same account. He faces a $5,000 bond on the child-neglect charge and a $1,500 bond for leaving the child in the car.
Why Tennessee Treats This as a Felony
The two charges reflect very different levels of severity under Tennessee law. Leaving a child under seven unattended in a vehicle on public property when the engine is running or conditions present a safety risk is a Class B misdemeanor carrying a $200 fine for a first offense, under Tennessee Code Annotated § 55-10-803. But knowingly neglecting a child in a way that adversely affects their health and welfare is classified as a Class E felony when the victim is eight or younger, carrying a potential one-to-two-year prison sentence at Range I, according to Tennessee Code Annotated § 39-15-401 as detailed by FindLaw. Tennessee is one of only 20 states nationwide with a statute explicitly criminalizing leaving a child unattended in a vehicle, a distinction noted by TN.gov.
A child-neglect arrest may be accompanied by a separate administrative investigation. The Tennessee Department of Children's Services investigates reports of suspected neglect to assess the child's home safety and protective needs, according to N. Cate Law. That DCS review proceeds under civil legal standards independent of the criminal charges Hayley now faces.
Not the First Tennessee Case This Year
Hayley's arrest follows a similar case elsewhere in the state. A Knoxville mother was charged with felony child abuse and neglect after leaving her 1-year-old unattended in a parked car from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. Monday, according to WBIR.
Vehicle heatstroke remains a persistent risk for Tennessee families.
Hayley's case is scheduled for a court review on Friday morning.
