Toddler found wandering in Benton City sparks dad’s child endangerment arrest
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Deputies allegedly found Jason Vargas passed out on drugs as his toddler roamed freely.
- Police found narcotics near the children; one child was discovered in traffic.
- Vargas accused of child endangerment and drug possession; bail set at $25K.
A Benton City man is under investigation for endangering his two young children after his 2-year-old son was found outside wandering in a city street on Monday afternoon.
Court documents obtained by the Tri-City Herald on Wednesday show Jason D. Vargas, 30, was arrested on suspicion of drug possession and endangering a child with a controlled substance after a passerby found the toddler on Ninth Street about 4:30 p.m.
In searching for a parent, the woman who found the 2-year-old saw Vargas asleep in a nearby house in a recliner. He had a 3-year-old in his lap, along with a piece of foil with what appeared to be narcotics on it, said the documents filed by Benton County prosecutors.
Benton County sheriff’s deputies also noticed lighters and a small jar with a blue lid in the chair. The containers are often used to carry illegal substances, the deputy said in her report. Vargas tried to hide the items, said the documents.
Deputies obtained a search warrant and seized a container with blue pills, a container with a “white rock-like substance” and burnt foil with a blue pill stuck it, said the documents.
Sheriff’s officials said the children tested negative for ingesting any fentanyl or methamphetamine.
“With Jason being passed out in a chair, the narcotics were easily accessible by both children to consume,” Deputy Ashley Guillen wrote in the court documents. “The blue pill stuck to the foil could easily be mistaken for candy to the children.”
She said the 2-year-old also was at risk of being hit by a car.
Vargas was booked into the Benton County jail pending further investigation. He is being held in lieu of $25,000.
The children were returned to their mother in Richland.
Court records show Vargas has previous problems with drugs. His last conviction was in 2020 when he pleaded guilty to a number of crimes including burglary, attempting to elude police and hit-and-run.
He was sentenced under a drug offender alternative, which split his sentence between prison and community custody, and he was able to get some drug treatment.