Search launched after dad ‘leaves son in the woods for over 24 hours’

A search has been launched for a dad who allegedly left his son stranded in the woods for more than 24 hours.

Cops in Wayne County, Mississippi say that Richard Dearman left the 5-year-old boy in the woods on October 18, telling him to remain by the tree until he returned. According to Sheriff Jody Ashley, Dearman told the child he "thought the law was behind him". The sheriff added:

"They would turn down a dirt road, they would get out the vehicle way in the woods in a wooded area. "He would tell him to stand by a tree and wait and he would be back to get him."

The police later found Dearman's truck at the location. 24 hours later, the little boy woke up cold and alone in the woods - walking nearly a mile to search for his dad. He had a number of cuts from being in the woods overnight, "but overall is okay". A statement from the sheriff's department explained that the boy eventually found help from a homeowner in the nearby community. The sheriff added:

“It makes you mad he would do something like this. “There are a lot of things that could have happened to this child in the woods. "I don’t know a history of drug arrests with this man or not, we are checking everything, but we are cutting warrants for him now.”

The sheriff said that once Dearman is located, he will be charged with child endangerment - and potentially facing more charges.