A Detroit man faces child abuse charges after police found his 13-month-old son alive inside a locked car that had been towed from a Harper Woods neighborhood and taken to an Eastpointe impound lot.
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said the child was discovered Feb. 28 at Woods Towing and Services in Eastpointe after a missing child report led detectives to the impounded vehicle. Prosecutors say the boy had been left inside the car when it was abandoned and later towed. The case has raised questions about how a baby could be missed during the tow and how long the child was inside before officers found him.
In a court filing, prosecutors allege Orlander Murnell Linson Jr., 35, abandoned the vehicle about 3:30 a.m. Fri., Feb. 27, in front of a home in the 20600 block of Damman Street in Harper Woods, leaving the child inside. Harper Woods police were called about 3:30 p.m. and had the car impounded because it was parked on a restricted side of the street and was blocking a driveway. On Sat., Feb. 28, the boy’s mother reported him missing at Detroit’s Ninth Precinct, police said. Detroit detectives traced the vehicle to the Eastpointe tow lot and found the child crying in the back seat, pinned between his car seat and a rear passenger door, police said. Harper Woods Police Chief Jason Hammerle said the Detroit detective “did an outstanding job” tracking the car through its plate and VIN and getting to the yard quickly. The tow yard sits just north of East 9 Mile Road.
Worthy’s office charged Linson with second-degree child abuse and with leaving a child in a vehicle resulting in physical harm. Prosecutors identified Linson as the boy’s father and said the case was filed in Wayne County because the car was abandoned in Harper Woods. In a statement announcing the case, Worthy said, “I don’t know what would possess a person to abandon a helpless 13-month-old in a car,” and called the allegation disturbing. Prosecutors did not publicly describe the boy’s injuries, but said he was taken to a local hospital for treatment after officers found him and that the child remained under medical care. Authorities have not said what Linson was doing during the hours the child was missing, and they have not said whether anyone else may face charges. Officials also have not said whether the boy was strapped into the car seat when he was left, or whether he moved into the cramped position where police found him.
Harper Woods police said the car was locked when it was towed, which limited what officers and the tow operator could do at the scene. Hammerle said an officer looked into the vehicle before it was removed but did not see the child, and the tow driver could not inventory the contents because the doors were locked. When asked whether officers had tools to open a locked vehicle, Hammerle said the department does not, adding, “We cannot enter or damage locked vehicles, and he did a visual inspection from the outside.” Hammerle said he was satisfied the officer followed policy that day. The Detroit detective later traced the car to Woods Towing by using the vehicle identification number, Hammerle said, and then looked through the windows until he spotted the child. The towing company did not release details about its own procedures and declined to comment publicly.
Eastpointe police said the car was not one their department had dealt with before it arrived at the yard, and that they were in contact with other agencies to investigate the circumstances. The case has pulled together departments in Detroit, Harper Woods and Eastpointe, along with the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office. Harper Woods is in Wayne County, while Eastpointe is in Macomb County, and investigators have said they are reviewing records across city lines to rebuild the timeline. Detectives have not said whether they believe anyone besides Linson knew the child was in the car, or whether the boy could be seen through the windows while the vehicle sat on the street. Officials also have not explained whether any calls or computer records show who requested the tow and what steps were taken to check the vehicle before it left the neighborhood.
Authorities said the boy was taken to a hospital for evaluation and remained under observation through the weekend. Police said doctors kept him for additional tests and monitoring, and the child stayed at the hospital while investigators worked to piece together the timeline. Harper Woods police said he was in stable condition and expected to recover. Child Protective Services was notified and opened a case, officials said, and prosecutors said the child was placed under protective supervision while doctors monitored him. Police have not released the child’s medical records, and they have not said what the boy ate or drank while he was trapped inside the vehicle. Officials have also not said whether the child was exposed to extreme cold or heat, or whether he suffered dehydration. Prosecutors allege the child experienced physical harm, but the extent of that harm has not been detailed in public court documents.
Neighbors along Damman Street said the parked car drew attention well before anyone knew a child might be inside. Debra Ruffin, who lives near where police say the vehicle was left, said the car looked “awkwardly parked” and partially blocked a driveway, prompting a call to police. Ruffin said her household noticed a child’s car seat inside the vehicle but never saw a baby. After learning what happened, she said, “I was speechless. I had to calm down,” adding that changing temperatures were the first thing she thought about. “That poor infant, that poor baby,” she said. Another neighbor, Jaylen Tarver, said people saw the illegal parking but assumed it was just another abandoned car. “It’s a child. It’s a 1-year-old, you don’t just forget that in the car,” Tarver said. A teenage neighbor who gave only her first name, Kaylee, said residents were left asking how the child could be overlooked for so long.
Linson appeared before a judge this week and pleaded not guilty, authorities said. In the bond hearing, investigators asked for a high cash bond, citing what they described as a history of warrants and a lack of a permanent address. “Mr. Linson Jr. has 10 active warrants for his arrest, and he does not have a residence at this time,” Deputy Chief Ted Stager said in court. Linson’s attorney, Davonne Darby, urged the court to release him on a personal bond, calling the case a “bad decision made in a split second.” Darby said Linson works as a security guard at Little Caesars Arena and is the father of five children. The judge set bond at $100,000, prosecutors said, and ordered a GPS tether as a condition of release. Authorities have not said whether Linson has posted bond or where he was staying when the car was abandoned.
Linson was arraigned in 32A District Court, and the prosecutor’s office said he must post a $100,000 cash or surety bond to be released. Records released by the prosecutor’s office list a probable cause conference for 1:30 p.m. March 11 and a preliminary examination for 1:30 p.m. March 18 before Judge Rebekah Coleman. The prosecutor’s office has said the hearings will proceed as investigators continue to gather records and witness statements. At the preliminary examination, a judge is expected to decide whether there is enough evidence for the case to move forward in circuit court. Prosecutors emphasized that the charges are allegations and that defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty. Authorities said they would keep reviewing the impound and tow process, including what officers could see through the windows and what information was available at the time of the tow. No trial date has been set.
As of Thursday, March 5, authorities said the child remained under medical care and protective services oversight, while detectives continued to interview witnesses and review records from the tow and impound. The next scheduled court hearing is March 11 in 32A District Court.
Author note: Last updated March 5, 2026.