Monroe Police and Marion County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a report of a child walking along highway 14 at about 7:20 Tuesday night, according to Monroe Police Chief Wes Breckenridge. When they located the child, approximately 6 years old, he indicated he was walking home, and helped officers determine his father was at Casey’s in Monroe. Upon arriving at Casey’s, they located the vehicle the child had described, and found his father, 26 year old Jesse Abner, of Knoxville, intoxicated. Abner was arrested and charged with OWI and child endangerment, and taken to the Jasper County Jail. Chief Breckenridge says he hopes appropriate action will be taken, for the sake of all involved; and the outcome could have been much worse. Marion County Sheriff Jason Sandholt concurs, and says this is a reminder that substance abuse affects many more people than the consumer. He adds that the Monroe officer and the Marion County deputies that assisted did a great job, and because of their prompt actions, a tragedy may have been avoided.