Cops: Man leaves kids at restaurant, says walk home in cold

Authorities say a Pennsylvania man left three children at a McDonald’s and told them to walk home in bone-chilling temperatures.

The (Easton) Express-Times reports that 55-year-old Craig Alercia, of Upper Nazareth Township, is facing three counts of child endangerment. It’s not known if he’s retained an attorney who could comment on the accusations.

Easton police say they went to the restaurant Friday night after someone reported three unsupervised children. The children told officers that Alercia had dropped them off and left about 20 minutes later.

Authorities say Alercia later told police he had instructed the children to walk home.

The temperature was around 14 degrees at the time. Police say a 10-year-old boy in the group had a jacket but two girls, ages 10 and 11, didn’t.

Authorities didn’t say if Alercia was related to the children.