Man Accused Of Abandoning Baby In A Car
Good Samaritan may have saved the baby's life, according to police
A Mentor man is accused of leaving a baby alone in a car.
Fortunately, a good Samaritan saw the child and may have saved her life, according to police.
At about 6 p.m. Friday, a man noticed an unattended baby in the parking lot behind East Coast Custard and called police, Mentor Police Lt. Ken Zbiegien said.
While waiting for the police to arrive, the man -- whose name was not released to the media -- also opened the cars' unlocked doors and rolled down the windows because the baby looked distressed.
He and some employees from the ice cream shoppe also got the 1-year-old girl some ice water and paper towels because she was sweating heavily.
In fact, when police arrived, they took the baby out of the car and her seat was soaked with sweat, Zbiegien said.
Paramedics took the child to Lake West Medical Center in Willoughby where the infant has made a full recovery, Zbiegien said.
"This could have been really bad," Zbiegien said. "Thank goodness another person got involved and did the right thing or it could have been a lot worse."
Police checked the license plate of the car, which was registered to the baby's mother who was working elsewhere.
One of the East Coast employees told police that she saw a man by the van earlier who then walked to the apartment complex next door.
The mom also lived in the same apartment complex, so police checked on her apartment and found 27-year-old Kevin Payerchin there.
Payerchin's speech was slurred, his eyes were glossy and he was watching another 2-year-old girl play on the balcony, Zbiegien said.
When asked about the baby, Payerchin told the police she was with her mother.
Payerchin then admitted that he had some medication, vodka and beer that day.
Payerchin told police that he thought he had parked the car outside the apartment complex but when he couldn't find it, he assumed the child's mother had taken it.
Later, the East Coast employee confirmed that Payerchin was the man she saw by the car.
Police arrested Payerchin and charged him with child endangerment. He is scheduled to have his initial court appearance Tuesday in Mentor Municipal Court.
Both the baby and her 2-year-old sister have been given to their grandparents while Lake County Job and Family Services investigates the situation, Zbiegien said.
Correction: I initially misidentified the suspect's first name. It has since been corrected.
In This article
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City of Mentor Police Department & Municipal Court
8500 Civic Center Blvd, Mentor, OH
Cin
2:37 pm on Monday, June 11, 2012
OMG. Horrible. Disguisting people. Those apartments are nothing but trouble!
Joe Smith
12:39 am on Sunday, June 17, 2012
I think you should start a petition to have the apartments torn down, I'll sign.
Craig Thomas
1:21 am on Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Tie him behind a car and drag him....
barbara mayer
5:01 pm on Friday, June 15, 2012
no craig thats to good for people like them
Jason Lea
6:04 am on Tuesday, June 12, 2012
I understand this case is upsetting to a lot of people, but it is worth noting that all people are innocent until found otherwise.
CCRady
11:26 am on Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Ok, IF he is found guilty of child endagerment - I think the mother needs to be charged as well for leaving the kids in this guys 'care' (and I use the term very loosely). He even admitted to police he had drank beer and vodka that day. And he was 'watching' her children for her... What a GREAT choice! Poor Kids!
barbara mayer
4:59 pm on Friday, June 15, 2012
he is also the father
mel
10:31 pm on Tuesday, June 12, 2012
And what's worse is that the mother of these children is the one who for pulled over for a dui with her kids in the car not too long ago!!! Port kids, glad they are ok & in a better environment!!!
barbara mayer
6:24 pm on Saturday, June 23, 2012
they r still with the mother go figure
barbara mayer
4:47 pm on Friday, June 15, 2012
isnt he already on probation for drug/alcohol abuse before this ?? He needs to stay in jail for along time the 2 girls are his daughters?? and he picked and choosed which one he was going to walk away from what a horrible man and father and the mother is also trash
Joe Smith
12:41 am on Sunday, June 17, 2012
Thank GOD a good samaritan called the police, and shame on the rest of you for passing judgement for God. HE does a pretty good job on his own.
barbara mayer
6:26 pm on Saturday, June 23, 2012
the mother has already been found guilty and so has the father they both will have their day in court
Joe Smith
11:00 am on Sunday, June 24, 2012
Wow, I hope your ready to take care of children. I mean after all it would be your ethical, moral duty to do so.
robby glazier
11:50 pm on Tuesday, June 26, 2012
i used to live below them, in 2007, at lakeway woods and all this stuff was happening then so something should be done and it has been an ongoing problem which both social services and the courts have been aware of and done nothing about.
Joe Smith
10:09 am on Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Wait what? Five years ago, neither of the children were born? If the two children are two and one, how was the same stuff going on 5 years ago?
barbara mayer
4:54 pm on Wednesday, June 27, 2012
there is 3 oldest is not hisi
Joe Smith
10:44 am on Thursday, July 5, 2012
I am aware of exactly how many children are involved...and in 2007, she was not with Kevin. She lived with her first kid's Dad and her grandmother (Barbara Mayor) around that time...hmm?
barbara mayer
9:19 pm on Thursday, July 5, 2012
excuse me first of all you are getting off track on this case... mandy and her boyfriend and baby lived with her mother dawn leberatore.. her boyfriend never lived in my home now to get back on track I am so glad kevin got the jail fime he deserved for what he did to his daughter..
Joe Smith
12:29 pm on Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Actually, I didn't say her boyfriend lived with you(although I'm sure they shacked up there occasionally) ...I said SHE did and she also lived with the first kid's Dad in 2007, my point was that she wasn't living with Kevin in 2007. And I agree that a prison sentence for Kevin was appropriate but I don't believe six months is long enough. I don't believe it's "what he deserves" and I believe that in six months, he will be no different; possibly quite worse!
BAS
10:05 am on Thursday, July 19, 2012
Kevin and Mandy are Drug and Alcohol Addicts.. I Know them both and I feel bad for the kids.I say let them rot in hell!
Joe Smith
4:19 pm on Monday, July 23, 2012
I think if you have knowledge of their drug and alcohol "addiction" and don't report it to the police and do everything within your power to help the children; you are just as bad. God can judge his children just fine, he doesn't need your assistance! P.S. You use the word "addicts" as if you don't realize that addiction is a disease, if they are in fact addicts, they need help with their disease not to "rot in hell". I'm fairly certain a hell fearing person such as yourself knows better than to judge.