In a startling incident in Nebraska, law enforcement recently apprehended a man following the discovery of a toddler left unattended in a ditch. The Adams County Sheriff’s Department has charged 31-year-old Austin Hendrick with child abuse without injury.

This unsettling event unfolded in early October 2025, along South Marian Road, just outside the city of Hastings, which is situated about 110 miles southwest of Lincoln. On that day, a vigilant passerby noticed a 15-month-old girl sitting alone in a ditch on the eastern side of the road, prompting concern and a call to authorities, as detailed in a sheriff’s department press release.

Upon their arrival, deputies encountered a truck driver who had taken the child into his care. This was corroborated by an affidavit for a search warrant, as reported by Kearney-based ABC affiliate KHGI, known as the Nebraska Television Network.

The toddler was subsequently transported to Mary Lanning Healthcare in Hastings for a thorough evaluation. Medical professionals determined that she was in generally good health, although they noted multiple insect bites, a soiled diaper, and a diaper rash.

Deputies arrived and found a truck driver holding the child, according to an affidavit for a search warrant obtained by Kearney-based ABC affiliate KHGI, which broadcasts as “Nebraska Television Network.”

The little girl was taken to Mary Lanning Healthcare — a hospital in Hastings — for an evaluation, according to law enforcement. There, doctors determined the child was generally in good health but had insect bites all over her body, a full diaper, and a diaper rash.

Soon thereafter, a witness called the sheriff’s department to say they had just received a phone call from the defendant, authorities say. Hendrick allegedly told the other man he was looking for a missing child he had been babysitting, according to the affidavit.

Investigators then spoke with Hendrick directly.

The defendant allegedly said he believed someone must have entered his house and took the girl while he stepped away to feed his dogs. Hendrick told law enforcement that upon his return, the child was gone and his front door was wide open. Authorities noted the man lives roughly a mile and a half away from where the toddler was found.

Law enforcement also took note of a claim by Hendrick that he drove his son around near the Southern Hills Golf Course to get him to fall back asleep around 3:30 a.m. that same morning. The local golf course is located about 2 miles away from where the girl was found. Investigators went on to request GPS data from the defendant’s vehicle in order to see where the man had been driving around the time the girl was spotted, according to the affidavit.

After a lengthy investigation, Hendrick was arrested last week.

During his arraignment, the defendant’s bail was set at 10 percent of $15,000, according to court records obtained by Central Nebraska Today. As of this writing, the Adams County Jail does not list Hendrick as an inmate. This week, a preliminary hearing in his case was scheduled for Jan. 30.

Law enforcement has declined to release any identifying information about the child at the center of the case, citing privacy concerns.