An 11-month-old at the center of an endangered child alert in DeKalb County was located safe today (Thursday) at a residence in Warren County.

Sheriff Patrick Ray said Legend Creed Soales was found at a home on Tobitt Road in Warren County after the child’s father, Shawn Soales told officers where the baby had been taken.

The child is now in the custody of the Department of Children Services.

According to the sheriff, the incident began Wednesday at 4:45 p.m. when DCS requested assistance from the Sheriff’s Department in locating the baby.

“We went to a residence on Blue Springs Road and found that Shawn Soales had left there with the child earlier in a black Dodge pickup truck,” Sheriff Ray revealed. “We issued a BOLO (Be on the Lookout) to law enforcement officers in surrounding counties and specifically requested that McMinnville City Police and the Warren County Sheriff’s Department check certain places there but the child could not be located.”

“Thursday, we issued a child endangerment alert which resulted in tips being called in to the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department”.

“At 11:58 a.m. today (Thursday) officers of the Sheriff’s Department returned to the home of Shawn Soales and found him there but the baby was not with Soale,” the sheriff said. “He told the officers that the child was at a residence on Tobitt Road in Warren County. Our officers responded and found the baby at that residence an hour later at 12:57 p.m. The child has been turned over to DCS, who had earlier obtained a court order to take the baby into custody.”

Charges are pending in the case. “We are now in discussions with the District Attorney General’s Office to determine if any criminal charges are to be filed in the case,” he added.

“I want to thank everyone for their help including the tips we received in this case,” Sheriff Ray said.