Dad bailed out, hopes to be reunited with son

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

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Don Swartout said being in jail "was an experience he will never forget.'

PINELLAS COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- The single father arrested Oct. 18 on child neglect charges was released from jail late Monday.

Earlier, Don Swartout decided to tell his side of the story from jail for the first time.

Police arrested Swartout after he admitted leaving his son in his van for a 4 1/2 hour night shift because of an abrupt schedule change at work.

"I was just trying to get through a couple days until I could find him daycare," Swartout said.

Swartout was arrested after a supervisor at his job, Consumer Sales Solutions in Dunedin, called 9-1-1.

Swartout's employers said they warned him he could not leave the child in the van but says he parked the van at a nearby church parking lot instead.

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Swartout told deputies he did it more than once. He wouldn't comment on how many times but says he felt it was a different situation than leaving a child alone in the daytime.

He also says the windows were down and he had food for him.

"Water, soda, soda pop, yogurt, fruit yogurt," Swartout said.

Swartout admitted what he did was wrong and is now hoping he will be reunited with his son.

"It was a mistake, it was stupid and it was wrong," Swartout said.

Swartout is a widowed father. He says the boy's mother died of cancer more than two years ago.

Don Swartout said he left his 7-year-old son alone in a van in a church parking lot near his job in St. Petersburg.

Swartout moved to the Bay area from Wisconsin around Labor Day.

He says he is now concerned for his son because they are seperated. He wants people to know he meant no harm.

"Just that theres a lot of love, just a lot of love, I can't even express how much love there is between my son and I," Swartout said.

Swartout doesn't have permission to see his son. He said he doesn't know who paid his $1,000 bail. Jail officials said a Bay News 9 viewer anonymously paid the bail after seeing his story.

Visit Bay News 9 on Demand, channel 342 on Bright House Networks digital cable, to see a longer version of Bay News 9's exclusive interview with Swartout.

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