Grandmother gets community service after being convicted of drunkenly leaving grandchild in ditch

OTTER TAIL CO., Minn. (KVLY/Gray News) - A grandmother was sentenced to nearly 500 hours of community service after being convicted of drunkenly leaving her grandchild in a ditch.

In October 2024, the Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office received a call from a person who said he saw a woman walking near the road with no shoes on and carrying a baby. The person said they slowed down and asked the woman if she was OK. She said she was fine and continued walking, according to court records.

According to court records, the temperature was in the 50-degree range at the time. It was also windy and rainy.

The caller said he pulled over nearby, and the woman was running away from the area without the baby. The caller said they found the baby lying on the ground in a ditch. That is when they picked up the baby and called the police.

Officers found Anastasia Elizabeth Vaughn walking in a wooded area nearby. She was identified as the baby’s grandmother.

According to court documents, Vaughn was stumbling, had bloodshot and watery eyes, slurred speech and the odor of alcohol coming from her.

Officers wrote in their report that she “seemed confused and said she was looking for a child but was unable to answer specific questions.”

Vaughn’s husband said that they live nearby. He told officers he did not know why Vaughn was out there with the baby, but confirmed she had been drinking earlier that day.

“She said she did not what happened and when asked how much she had to drink, she would not say,” according to court records.

A preliminary breath test showed an alcohol concentration of .229.

This week, Vaughn was sentenced to 45 days and will serve that time through 492 hours of community service. She will also be placed on supervised probation for two years and was fined $500.

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