Lemoore man arrested on suspicion of child endangerment

It was at about 3:40 a.m. that the Lemoore officers were dispatched to a residence on North Olive Street for a report of missing children. The caller, 34-year-old Jimmy Cardenas, reported that his seven-year old and three-year old children were missing from the residence.

While an officer interviewed Cardenas, other officers checked the area for the children. Cardenas said his children were asleep so he left the residence in his home at about 1 a.m. so he could go smoke marijuana.

While he was gone, he received a call from his children but he did not answer the phone. He called them back later but they did not answer. He returned home at about 3 a.m. and his children were not home.

An officer located the children, unharmed, at a neighbor’s residence. That resident told the officer that she was awakened by someone knocking on her door at about 2 a.m. When she opened the door, she saw the two children, whom she knew as her neighbors. She was unable to call the father because she did not have his phone number.

Cardenas was arrested and booked into the Kings County Jail on two counts of child endangerment. His bail was set at $100,000.