Man arrested on suspicion of abandoning son at South El Monte park

A father was arrested Thursday on suspicion of abandoning his 6-year-old son earlier this week at Whittier Narrows Regional Park.

Juan Garcia, 31, of Pomona was arrested on suspicion of child endangerment, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement.

Authorities were called by a good Samaritan who found the boy crying and looking for his father Monday night near Legg Lake at the South El Monte park. The child, who was cold and hungry, was fed and placed in a patrol car while deputies with the sheriff’s Parks Bureau searched for his father.

Investigators found a vehicle with a flat tire that they believed belonged to Garcia but they couldn’t locate him. His son was placed in protective custody hours later, after attempts to find Garcia were exhausted.

The boy’s mother was eventually located and she took custody of him.

On Thursday morning Garcia was arrested and booked at San Dimas Station, where he is being held on $100,000 bail. He is expected to be arraigned Monday.

Sheriff’s officials did not have details about what led up to the arrest.

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