Man charged after sleeping while infant nephew wandered street

Published 7:10 pm Thursday, August 29, 2019

SALISBURY — A Salisbury man was charged Wednesday with misdemeanor child abuse after police said he fell asleep while watching his year-old nephew. The child managed to get out of the house and was found wandering the street.

The child was found near North Clay Street, police said.

Lester Leonel Del Cid Diaz, 23, told officers he went to the bathroom and didn’t realize the child had gotten out of the home. Investigators with the Salisbury Police Department determined Diaz was actually asleep.

There were two other children in the home. The 1-year-old was not injured.

Diaz was issued a $1,000 secured bond and was released from the Rowan County Detention Center.

In other Salisbury Police Department reports:

• A man reported a stolen debit card Wednesday at Rowan Helping Ministries.

• A woman reported Wednesday that someone stole belongings from her vehicle parked in the 900 block of Laurel Pointe Circle.

• A man reported a burglary Wednesday in the 1300 block of Old Concord Road.

• Bernardo Jaimes Curiel, 38, was charged Wednesday with misdemeanor contributing to the delinquency of a minor in the 100 block of Sarah Ellen Lane.

• Bonnie Schenk Akers, 35, was charged Wednesday with felony obtaining property by false pretenses in the 1800 block of West Jake Alexander Boulevard.

In Rowan County Sheriff’s Office reports:

• A man reported Tuesday that someone used his personal information to transfer cellphone accounts and access his credit card in the 400 block of Nestlewood Lane.

• A woman reported an assault by strangulation Tuesday in the 100 block of Beechwood Drive.

• A woman reported fraud Tuesday in the 100 block of Pickler Road.

• Patricia Amanda Adams, 59, was charged Tuesday with misdemeanor simple assault in the 300 block of Carter Hill Road, Rockwell.

• Jennifer Selena Earnhardt, was charged Tuesday with misdemeanor larceny in the 300 block of Pleasant Village, China Grove.

• Nicholas Dale Overman, 33, was charged Tuesday with felony assault by strangulation in the 100 block of Beechwood Drive.

• Nicholas Jevon Gregory, 16, was charged Tuesday with felony motor vehicle theft in the 600 block of Timber Trail, Gold Hill.

• Cody Cameron Sprinkle, 27, was charged Tuesday with felony obtaining property by false pretenses and felony larceny in the 300 block of Sloop Street, China Grove.

• Courtney Michelle Kelly, 29, was charged Tuesday with felony obtaining property by false pretenses and felony larceny in the 300 block of Sloop Street, China Grove.

• Dimetri Martese Strother, 22, was charged Tuesday as a sex offender who failed to notify authorities of an address change.