FERGUS FALLS, Minn. (KVLY/Gray News) – A Minnesota woman is in jail for allegedly drinking alcohol while caring for her grandchild and leaving the baby outside in the rain.

According to the Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office, deputies received a call for a child welfare check on Tuesday around 4:30 p.m.

A man told authorities he saw a woman walking near Cedar Park Loop with no shoes and carrying a baby.

The caller said he slowed down to ask if the woman was okay and she said she was okay, but when he pulled over nearby he suddenly couldn’t see the woman with her baby anymore.

Authorities said the man searched the area for the child after seeing the woman running away and eventually found the baby lying on the ground in a ditch.

He took the child and called the police.

Deputies located the woman, later identified as Anastasia Elizabeth Vaughn, walking in a nearby wooded area. It was determined that she was the baby’s grandmother.

According to court documents, Vaughn was stumbling, had bloodshot and watery eyes, and had slurred speech due to the odor of alcohol coming from him.

“He appeared confused and said he was looking for a child but was unable to answer specific questions,” one of the deputies said.

Vaughn’s husband told authorities he didn’t know why she was out with the baby, but confirmed his wife had been drinking earlier in the day.

Authorities said the child’s parents were contacted and arrived at the scene quickly.

Vaughn was taken into custody and booked into Otter Tail County Jail on a charge of child endangerment.

“He said he didn’t remember what happened and didn’t say when asked how much he had to drink,” court records said.

The sheriff’s office said a preliminary alcohol breath test resulted in a reading of 0.229.

Officials reported temperatures in the area that evening were around 50 degrees Fahrenheit, with wind and rain.

In Minnesota, child endangerment is a gross misdemeanor that carries a maximum penalty of 364 days in jail and/or a $3,000 fine.

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