Richard Dearman, 32, left his five-year-old son in the woods for 24hours before he was found
Police are searching for a Mississippi man who abandoned his five-year-old son in the woods last Wednesday.
Richard Dearman, 32, allegedly told his son ‘the law was behind him’.
He told the five-year-old to stand by a tree until he returned to get him.
Twenty-four hours later, the boy woke up cold and alone, and eventually walked a mile out of the woods following the sound of a barking dog to a house where he found help.
Wayne County Sheriff Jody Ashley said the boy had minor cuts but is okay.
Dearman’s truck was found abandoned on a dirt road near the wooded area where he left the boy.
And though the father told his son the law was after him, the sheriff said, ‘I don’t know a history of drug arrests with this man or not, we are checking everything, but we are cutting warrants for him now’.
Police are searching for the father who has been missing since last week and now faces child endangerment charges
Once found, Dearman faces child endangerment and other possible charges.
‘It makes you mad he would do something like this,’ Ashley told WDAM. ‘There are a lot of things that could have happened to this child in the woods.’
Dearman’s sister has been active on social media in the search for her brother.
Morgan Dearman has posted photos of her brother with the description ‘PLEASE SHARE’ adding that she’s, ‘in desperate need to find my brother’.
Dearman was last seen wearing a white t-shirt with red and black gym shorts. He has green eyes, brown hair and a goatee. He is about 5 feet, 4 inches in height.
If you have any information that can help deputies find Dearman call the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office at 601-735-2323.