Cops: Parents facing charges after kids found wandering alone

ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell police have charged two parents with reckless conduct after officers found their two young children wandering by themselves and barely clothed near a busy store.

Phillip Head and Tracy Sadekoski each face charges stemming from the incident last Thursday in which police said the couple's 4 and 8-year-old boys left the family home and walked to a Walmart store.

"Anybody could have stopped and picked them up, taken them," said Officer Lisa Holland. "They could have gotten hurt."

When officers found the boys, police said they weren't wearing pants or shoes. Officers said the boys directed officers back to their home, from where police determined the boys escaped.

According to an incident report obtained by Channel 2's Mike Petchenik, Walmart employees told police this was the third time the boys had come to the store without their parents. Police said the store offered the family free door alarms the last time it happened, but the family declined.

"I'm glad the officers located the children and were able to return them to their parents," said Holland. "Hopefully this is an eye-opening experience for these parents."

An attorney representing the boys' father told Petchenik the eldest of the boys is mildly autistic and suffers from attention deficit disorder.

"The child, who lives in the vicinity of Walmart and shops there with his parents, was in pursuit of toys at that time," said Tracy Teiger.

Teiger said his client believed the home was secure and is now taking steps to prevent any future escapes.

"DFACS (Department of Family and Children Services) folks visited with Mr. Head, and at that time, to my knowledge, determined the children were not at any risk," said Teiger. "Bottom line: they are in a safe environment. These aren't bad parents."

On-line jail records indicate Sadekoski bonded out of the Fulton County jail. Police said Head was turning himself in to the jail Monday afternoon.

WSBTV