Couple Accused of Leaving Children in Car While Getting Marriage License

A couple faces charges today for leaving a 10-month-old baby boy and a 4-year-old boy alone in car while their parents were inside the Caddo Parish Courthouse getting a marriage license.  The car was on McNeil street. It was running with the air conditioner on and the doors unlocked.

Caddo deputies were alerted to the situation by a courthouse employee who saw the children and a large dog inside a Kia Optima just after noon on Thursday.

Deputies were searching the courthouse for the owners of the car when 23-year-old Courtney Carroll and 22-year-old Garrett Poole of Pollock, arrived back at the car with marriage license in hand. Deputies had been looking for the couple for about 20 minutes. It is not known yet exactly how long the children had been left alone in the running car before they were discovered.

Sheriff’s Lt. Mark Gay said the air conditioner in the car was operating; the car doors were unlocked and one door was partially open. The children were checked out by the Shreveport Fire Department and were said to be okay.

Carroll and Poole were arrested for child desertion and are awaiting booking at the Caddo Correctional Center. The children were released into the custody of Child Protective Services and were expected to be reunited with other family members later today. The dog was released to Caddo Parish Animal Control.