A 36-year-old Missouri father has been charged with first-degree child endangerment after police allege he abandoned his infant in the middle of a St. Louis roadway, then lied to the child's mother about where the baby was before leading officers on a high-speed chase that ended only after he drove through two fences and discarded a handgun from his vehicle.
Background
Christopher Sean Pearson is accused of abandoning his infant child on July 15 in the area of Goodfellow Boulevard and Natural Bridge Road in St. Louis, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in connection with the charges. Witnesses told investigators they observed the driver of a blue Tesla remove a car seat containing the infant from the vehicle and leave it directly in a driving lane before departing the scene.
One witness initially believed the car seat was empty but ultimately moved both the carrier and the infant out of the roadway after discovering the child inside, the affidavit states. The incident placed the vulnerable infant directly in harm's way among passing traffic on the busy St. Louis thoroughfare.
Shortly after allegedly abandoning the baby, Pearson received a phone call from the child's mother, who inquired about her son's whereabouts since Pearson had been supervising the child at the time. Court documents allege that Pearson falsely informed her he had "left the kid outside a police station" — a statement authorities say was entirely fabricated as part of what prosecutors describe as a deliberate deception.
The Charges
Officers with the St. Louis Police Department located Pearson operating the same blue Tesla shortly after responding to the abandoned infant call. According to a separate affidavit, investigators recognized the vehicle and attempted to initiate a traffic stop. "The car passed directly in front of us and the defendant looked at us, and then sped away," the document states.
Police pursued Pearson through residential streets where he allegedly ignored numerous traffic controls and "nearly caused collisions with other vehicles." Officers attempted to deploy spike strips to disable the Tesla, but Pearson evaded them, according to law enforcement accounts of the pursuit.
"He approached a dead end and jumped the curb and drove through a fence into a yard, then through another fence, over another sidewalk, until finally stopping," police wrote in their affidavit. Authorities further alleged that during the chase, Pearson "threw a pistol from the vehicle."
Following his arrest, officers searched the Tesla and recovered two additional firearms inside the vehicle. Court records indicate Pearson now faces one count of first-degree child endangerment and one count of resisting arrest by fleeing, creating a substantial risk of serious injury or death to a person.
The affidavit detailed Pearson's criminal history dating back to 2007, which includes several failures to appear for prior court proceedings. Prosecutors noted he would "not likely voluntarily appear" for future hearings if released on bond.
Pearson appeared in St. Louis Circuit Court where a judge ordered him held without bond after finding probable cause to believe he would not appear for proceedings and that his release would pose a danger "to the crime victim, the community, or another person."
Key Takeaways
- Christopher Sean Pearson, 36, has been charged with first-degree child endangerment and resisting arrest by fleeing in St. Louis Circuit Court
- Police allege he abandoned his infant in a car seat directly in a driving lane on Goodfellow Boulevard before leaving the scene
- He allegedly lied to the child's mother, claiming he had "left the kid outside a police station" when officers had located the baby still in the roadway
- After leading police on a pursuit, Pearson drove through two fences and allegedly discarded a handgun from his vehicle during flight
- Officers recovered three firearms total after taking him into custody
- A judge ordered detention without bond, citing concerns about his failure to appear history and potential danger to the victim and community
What's Next
Pearson remains in custody at the St. Louis City Justice Center pending further court proceedings. No trial date has been set. Prosecutors have indicated they intend to pursue the charges aggressively given the vulnerable nature of the alleged child endangerment victim and Pearson's documented history of failing to appear for prior court matters, which influenced the judge's decision to deny bond.