Father faces charge of endangering child

A man left his 21-month-old son unattended in a car for about 20 minutes, police said.

David Toomey, 42, of 30 Cypress Lane, in Merrimack, told police he decided to leave his son in the car while conducting business at a mall so that he wouldn’t wake the infant, police said Thursday. Toomey now faces a child endangerment charge.

On Tuesday afternoon, Toomey went into the state Department of Motor Vehicles licensing station at Harris Pond Mall to change the address on his driver’s license, police said.

Toomey said when he arrived at the mall, his son was sleeping and he didn’t want to wake him, police said.

Someone spotted the baby in the car with a window slightly open. This person then saw Toomey get into the car and leave, police said. The witness called police.

Toomey is charged with the misdemeanor crime of endangering the welfare of a child. He was released on personal recognizance bail and is slated to appear in district court.