(Spencer)– A man who pulled over to pick some asparagus late Wednesday afternoon faces drug and child endangerment charges.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office says it received a complaint from a passerby about two children in a vehicle by themselves. The vehicle was parked on 400th Street by Highway 71.
Authorities say a five-year-old girl was standing outside the vehicle crying and a two-year-old boy was in the vehicle sleeping when the passerby stopped to assist.
Deputies arrived on the scene and determined the driver, 49-year-old Mark Nellis of Melvin, was picking asparagus out of a ditch a great distance from where the vehicle was parked. Nellis was arrested and charged with two counts of child endangerment.
A subsequent search of the vehicle resulted in additional charges of possession of a controlled substance…marijuana; and possession of drug paraphernalia being filed against Nellis.
He was booked into the Clay county jail on two thousand dollars bond.
The incident took place shortly before 5:00 p.m.
