WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — A Schofield father accused of leaving his son in a hot car overnight will go to trial for a felony count of neglecting a child and two drug charges.
Zachary Wakeen had a three-day jury trial scheduled for September 8th, 9th, and 10th on Tuesday.
Police say Wakeen was unloading his car after returning to his home in early August 2019. He made two trips to unpack things, leaving the child and carseat in the vehicle. He then told police everything became a “blur” and he fell asleep on a couch.
The child’s mother was asleep in another room at the time. By the time she found Wakeen on the couch, it was nearly noon. That’s when he realized the baby was still in the car.
Officers say the temperature inside the vehicle was 130 degrees an hour after the boy was removed from the vehicle. The air temp was 82 at the time of the police report. Officers estimate that the child was in the car with the windows rolled up for close to 10 hours.
The child was rushed by ambulance to Ascension St. Claire’s in Weston then flown on to Marshfield Clinic. He was released a few days later.
Officers say they also found meth and a pipe inside the home, leading to added charges of possession of meth and drug paraphernalia.
If found guilty Wakeen could face up to 16 years in prison.
