Myrtle Beach cops find beer in children’s hotel room, passed-out father, warrants say
A drunk man “was unable to take care of himself, let alone children” and now faces up to 10 years in prison for child neglect, police say.
Myrtle Beach police charged Ronald Edward Coker, 47, with two counts of child neglect on Saturday.
Officers responded to the Sandcastle Oceanfront Resort at the Pavilion, 1802 N. Ocean Blvd., after hotel staff said they saw a 7-year-old wandering the parking lot and street alone, according to a police report. The manager said Coker, the child’s father, was intoxicated.
Police went to Coker’s room, and he would not answer the door, the report states. To check on Coker and a 10-year-old in the room, officers asked a manager to let them inside.
Coker was in the backroom and “highly intoxicated.” It took police 10 minutes to wake him, and he could barely speak, according to the report. Officers also found beer in the children’s room and food and trash spilled throughout the area.
This story was originally published August 6, 2019 at 8:51 AM.
