Father Flees With 2-Year-Old From Hospital

A distraught La Mesa man unhooked his 2-year-old son from a heart monitor in a hospital emergency room Friday and fled with the toddler, who authorities say could die without medical attention.

Charles Hoch, 41, took his son, Travis, to the Sharp Memorial Hospital emergency room at 2:50 p.m. He told the staff that the boy had swallowed a potentially deadly amount of a prescription antihistamine called Atarax.

But after 20 minutes, Hoch unhooked his son from the heart monitor, dressed him and took him away, hospital officials said.

A friend of Hoch, who asked to remain anonymous, said late Friday that “I have every reason to believe the kid is OK.”

Shortly after Hoch arrived at the emergency room, nurse Jane Dreissen informed him that the boy needed to be treated with a liquid charcoal, which has a laxative effect, said hospital spokeswoman Cathy Spearnak.

Hoch, an unemployed college student, told Dreissen that she could continue monitoring his son but that he did not want the boy treated with the charcoal until he talked with a doctor, Spearnak said.

Hospital authorities said Hoch “became defensive and said: ‘Don’t fathers have any rights?’ ” Spearnak said.

Before the doctor could speak with Hoch, the agitated man dressed his son and stormed out of the emergency room, with Dreissen and another nurse trailing him and telling him the boy needed to stay, Spearnak said. Hoch left in a dark blue 1986 Ford Thunderbird, Spearnak said.

Hoch’s ex-wife, Nancy Hollar of La Mesa, left her job at a Mira Mesa toy store and went to the hospital, where police were waiting. Hollar was unavailable for comment but told police that her ex-husband had visitation privileges on Tuesdays and Fridays.

On those days, Hoch--who attends Grossmont College--was permitted to pick up his son from a La Mesa preschool program, said San Diego Police Officer Anthony Linardi.

But in the early afternoon, Travis found his father’s bottle of prescription antihistamines at his La Mesa apartment and swallowed 10 to 15 capsules containing 25 milligrams of Atarax, Hoch told medical authorities.