From: Hannibal Police Department
Date: December 19, 2011
Phone: 573-221-0987
Fax: 573-221-3966
Contact: Lt. John Zerbonia
At approximately 10: 45 p.m. Friday night, Officers of the Hannibal Police Department received anonymous information that a 1 year old child was left alone, locked in a bedroom in an apartment in the 200 block of Munger Lane. Officers arrived on scene and after receiving no response at the door, entered the apartment to insure no one was in danger inside. Once inside the apartment, Officers heard a small child crying from a locked bedroom. Officers made entry into the bedroom and found a 1 year old male child in a play pen. No other occupants were located. Officers took the child into protective custody and released him to the Department of Family Services who was called to the scene. After a short investigation, Officers located the childs mother, 25 year old Cherie N. Wharton of Hannibal, in a downtown business. Wharton was arrested on charges of Endangering the Welfare of a Child and placed on a 24 hour hold at the Marion County Jail.
A criminal charge is merely an allegation and the defendant is, of course, presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
