Home Alone Arrest: Man Often Left 5 Little Kids Home While He Went To Work, Joliet Police Say

JOLIET, IL — The Joliet Police Department has made its first "Home Alone" arrest of the year, arresting 36-year-old Buell Avenue resident Sherwood Cotton on five crimes of endangering the life or health of a child and five crimes of contributing to the neglect of a minor.

Joliet police made the arrest just before supper time on Monday.

According to police agency spokesman Dwayne English, at 4:56 p.m., officers responded to a residence in the 1300 block of Buell Avenue for a welfare check after receiving information that several children may have been left home alone without adult supervision.

He said the officers located five children, two girls and three boys, between the ages of 3 and 8 years old unattended inside the house.

The children appeared to be in good health and were placed into protective custody while the situation was assessed.

While officers were at the scene, Sherwood Cotton arrived at the residence and identified himself as the children’s father. English said Cotton had left the children home alone at various times over the span of three different recent days while he was at work.

"Officers learned that Cotton periodically returned to the residence during his workday to prepare food for the children and care for them before leaving again," English said.

He said the children were released to the custody of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services to be later placed with family members as appropriate.

As for Cotton, he processed at the Joliet Police Department and released on a notice to appear in court.

In late October, Joliet Patch also published another Home Alone arrest case. A 26-year-old Joliet woman named Alisa Iacsin was arrested by the Joliet Police Department on child abandonment charges after leaving her 4-year-old girl home all alone while she went to work, according to arrest reports.