Grovetown police arrested a Wilkes County deputy on Tuesday after his two young children were found wandering along the road, according to a press release.
Phillip Oneal, 28, was charged with two counts of reckless conduct. He is currently employed as a Wilkes County Sheriff’s deputy.
The two children, ages 6 and 3, were found by sanitation workers wandering along Dodge Lane in Grovetown around 8:50 a.m. Tuesday, Grovetown Police Chief Jamey Kitchens said.
“Investigation revealed that the children had left their residence at an unknown time after 6 a.m. this morning,” Chief Kitchens said. “The oldest juvenile told officers that they were going to the elementary school to get breakfast and led officers back to their residence on the 600 block of Benelli.”
An hour later, the children’s mother, Tayira Duggan, called police and said her husband had contacted her about the children missing when he woke up. She said Oneal had searched the area and was unable to find them.
“At no point did Mr. Oneal contact 911 or the Police Department to report the children missing, despite being a law enforcement officer,” Chief Kitchens said.
The chief said that officers had earlier gone to the suspects residence on Sterlington Drive about an unattended juvenile wandering the apartment complex. In that case, police determined that Oneal had fallen asleep on the couch and their 3-year-old child had let himself out of an unsecured door. In that incident, a report was generated and DFCS was notified.
The remaining children were placed in the custody of a relative by the Department of Family and Children Services. Oneal is being held in the Columbia County Detention Center under a $2,200 bond.
