By Eve Nowell 
A Detroit man is facing felony charges after police discovered his 1-year-old son alive inside a car that had been towed and sitting in an impound lot for nearly two days. Authorities said the child had been left inside the vehicle before it was removed from a residential street and was only found after investigators began searching for the missing toddler. The discovery triggered a criminal investigation that led to the arrest of the child’s father.
Police said the sequence of events began on February 26 in Harper Woods, a city on Detroit’s east side. Officers were dispatched after receiving a report about an abandoned vehicle parked illegally on the restricted side of a street. The car was reportedly blocking a driveway and had been sitting there unattended. An officer responded to the scene and conducted a visual inspection through the windows but did not see anything inside the vehicle. Because the car was violating parking restrictions and obstructing access, a tow truck was called to remove it from the street.
The vehicle was towed the following day, February 27, and transported to a local impound lot. Authorities said it remained there until the afternoon of February 28. During that time, there was no indication to officers or towing personnel that a child was inside the vehicle. The car had not been flagged as part of any criminal investigation or missing person report at that stage.
The situation shifted dramatically on the morning of February 28 when a woman contacted Detroit police to report her 1-year-old child missing. Investigators began working quickly to determine the child’s whereabouts. During the early stages of that search, a detective learned that the woman’s boyfriend, later identified as Orlander Linson Jr., had a vehicle that had been impounded the previous day.
That discovery immediately raised concerns that the missing child could be inside the vehicle. Investigators tracked the car to the impound lot and responded to the location to check it. When the detective looked through the vehicle’s windows, the missing toddler was reportedly visible in the back seat and crying.
The child was removed from the vehicle and transported to a hospital for medical evaluation. Authorities have not released details about the child’s medical condition following the ordeal. After the hospital visit, the toddler was placed into the custody of Child Protective Services while the investigation continued.
Police said the timeline suggests the child remained inside the vehicle for an extended period while it was parked on the street and during the time it was stored at the impound lot. The discovery prompted questions about how the situation unfolded and how the child was not detected earlier during the towing process.
Harper Woods Police Chief Jason Hammerle said the officer who initially responded to the illegally parked vehicle conducted a visual inspection from outside the car before requesting a tow. According to the department, officers are not permitted to damage or force entry into locked vehicles during routine parking enforcement actions. The chief said the responding officer followed department policy during the incident.
The initial inspection reportedly involved looking through the vehicle’s windows to determine whether anything inside required further attention. Because nothing was visible at the time, the situation was treated as a routine parking violation. The car was then removed from the street and transported to the impound facility.
The case drew criticism from a retired Detroit police official who reviewed the situation. The former assistant police chief indicated that additional steps might have been possible during the impound process, noting that tow operators often have tools capable of unlocking vehicles when necessary. He suggested the situation may have been handled differently if the presence of a child had been suspected earlier.
Despite the questions surrounding the towing process, investigators ultimately focused on the actions of the child’s father. Police arrested Orlander Linson Jr. after determining he was responsible for leaving the toddler inside the vehicle.
Prosecutors charged Linson with second-degree child abuse in connection with the incident. Authorities said the charge reflects the seriousness of leaving a young child unattended in circumstances that could cause serious harm.
During the arrest process, investigators also discovered Linson had multiple outstanding warrants. Deputy Chief Ted Stager said there were ten active warrants tied to the suspect at the time he was taken into custody. Police also reported that Linson did not have a permanent residence.
The discovery of the child inside the impounded car brought the search to a sudden end and prevented what authorities indicated could have been a far more tragic outcome. Investigators credited the detective who connected the missing child report to the impounded vehicle, a detail that allowed officers to locate the toddler before the situation became fatal.
Authorities continue to review the circumstances surrounding the incident, including the timeline of events leading up to the child being left in the vehicle. The case remains active as the criminal charge moves through the court system and officials continue their investigation.
Linson remains in custody facing the child abuse charge while the case proceeds. The child has been placed under protective supervision, and authorities said the investigation is ongoing as prosecutors prepare the case for court.
Source
Shawn Henry