BEND, Ore. -- A state employee faces a child neglect charge after police said he forgot an 8-month-old baby in the back of a van outside the Oregon Department of Human Services offices on SW Emkay Drive, near the Old Mill District.

Bend Police detectives arrested 56-year-old Kenneth Michael Anderson on Thursday on suspicion of second-degree child neglect. The arrest followed a report that Anderson, a family time coordinator, left the child unattended in a vehicle earlier in the week, Bend Police Communications Manager Sheila Miller said in a news release Friday.

An investigation found that the driver of the van, Anderson, had coordinated a family visit with the infant and her family in Redmond on Tuesday. When the visit ended at about 2:30 p.m., he drove the baby from the Redmond child welfare office to the Bend child welfare office, Miller said.

The baby fell asleep during the drive, and Anderson parked the van and walked into the office, forgetting the child was still inside, investigators said. Anderson then left the office in a different vehicle to go to another location.

Within about 30 minutes, Anderson realized he had forgotten the baby and contacted his supervisor. The supervisor found the baby in the unlocked vehicle, provided care and took her to St. Charles Bend for evaluation. The baby was released without injury and returned to her resource parents, officers said.

Miller called the case an unfortunate reminder to never leave a child unattended in a vehicle for any length of time. Miller suggested checking the entire vehicle, especially the backseat, before walking away.

Safety officials also recommend putting a purse, backpack or other personal item in the backseat as a reminder to look there before locking the car. 

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a child’s body temperature rises three to five times faster than an adult’s body temperature. In 2025, 31 children died of heatstroke after being left in hot vehicles.