NORTH WILDWOOD – A city man was charged with endangering the welfare of a child after he was observed dropping and swinging his infant son while under the influence of PCP, police said.
According to a press release issued by the Police Department, on Tuesday, July 2, bystanders observed that David Fletcher III, 38, who was accompanied by an infant child, was having a possible medical problem in the area of 1200 Atlantic Ave. The bystanders intervened prior to officers’ arrival.
After police arrived and contacted Fletcher they suspected he might be under the influence of a controlled dangerous substance due to his erratic behavior. The officers also noticed several injuries to his infant son. The New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency was contacted.
A follow-up investigation was conducted by police Detective Joseph Kopetsky and the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office, including a review of surveillance video footage and an interview of Fletcher.
Fletcher appeared in the footage to be under the influence of a narcotic as he was shown dropping and swinging the infant in an unsafe manner, injuring the child. During an interview, he admitted to smoking phencyclidine, known as PCP, while walking with his son, police said.
He was charged with second-degree endangering the welfare of a child and second-degree aggravated assault. He was transported to the Cape May County Correctional Center.
The Police Department expressed thanks to the bystanders who gave assistance, to the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office and to its own patrol and detective divisions.
Residents are reminded to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to the department. Anyone with information related to this case or any other criminal activities is asked to contact the Police Department’s Detective Division at 609-522-2411. The public can also provide tips anonymously by using TEXT-A-TIP and texting TIP NWPD, followed by a message, to 888777.