LIVINGSTON, Texas – A man was arrested and charged after police said he left his 9-month-old baby in a shed and took off in a stolen vehicle in Livingston Saturday.
Authorities said Clifford Jason Guynes, 43, of Splendora was charged with injury to a child and abandoning/endangering a child. He was booked into the Polk County Jail and is being held on a $200,000 bond.
According to the Livingston Police Department, Guynes left the child in the shed of a home around 3 a.m. on Youngs Lane near 59 and FM 1988 before stealing a green pickup truck.
At about 6 a.m., a woman named Katherine McClain told police she was awakened by the sound of a loud truck outside of the home she shares with her daughter and husband. Her daughter reportedly looked outside and they discovered their neighbor’s truck had been stolen.
Police said the woman’s husband was able to pull security video from several of the cameras protecting their property and saw a man with a beard in his underwear walk next door, get in the truck, and drive off. As McClain’s husband looked at the video just after the 3 a.m. mark, investigators said he realized the man had first gone to the vehicles in their yard and attempted to break into them. Livingston PD reportedly looked at the video, attempted to locate the pickup truck, and attempted to lift fingerprints from several vehicles. They also discovered some blood on the vehicles, investigators said. As police were there, they were alerted that San Jacinto County had located the vehicle and Guynes was behind the wheel, investigators said.
Investigators said about three hours later, the homeowners said their dogs began barking at the shed. That’s when the husband and wife discovered the 9-month-old baby girl and called 9-1-1, investigators said.
“I was freaking out. I looked down and this little baby was just looking up at me. They gave me permission to pick her up and wrapped her up in a towel and I ended up holding her making sure she was okay and safe. Traumatic experience,” Katherine said.
Authorities said the baby was flown to Texas Children’s Hospital and had a broken femur that had to be pinned. She is reportedly doing fine and is expected to recover from her injuries.
Authorities said they are trying to figure out why Guynes, who police said is reportedly the baby’s father, was out of jail. On Sept. 16, Montgomery County Precinct 4 constables arrested Guynes for a blue warrant (given if a parolee in Texas has violated parole) issued by the Texas Board of Pardons and Parole. He was then booked into the Montgomery Country Jail. Guynes has reportedly been arrested several times over the years for drug and assault charges.