Tulsa Police: Intoxicated Man Arrested For Riding Horse With Toddler

A Tulsa man was arrested for public intoxication and child endangerment after he was found riding a horse with a child, but the man didn't know who the three-year-old boy belonged to.

According to police, the man took the child for a ride on the horse, got drunk, then, didn't know where to return the child.

In Tulsa, near 56 Street North and Lewis, it's not uncommon to see people riding horses. But police say what happened on Monday night was a little unusual.

Corporal Greg Smith said Dennis Byers met with a man who wanted to buy a horse for his three-year-old son.

"The horse owner was going to ride over to the child's house and let the child ride with him with the father following," said Smith.

At some point, Smith said, the father got a work related phone call and stopped following Byers and his son.

Nearly five hours passed before police got a call about a drunk man riding a horse with a small child.

Investigators said Byers started knocking on doors and asking if anyone knew who the three-year-old was.

"He was trying to leave the child at various houses," Smith said. "He didn't know where the people were. He didn't know where the child belonged and obviously he wasn't properly supervising the child."

According to arrest records, Byers had blood shot eyes, slurred speech, trouble standing and investigators could smell alcohol on his breath.

"The people that called in did the right thing and they were also very helpful in helping us locate the people when they came back into the area," said Smith.

Investigators then had to figure out who the child was and where his father lived. Tips led detectives to a house near Pine and Lewis.

"(He) didn't know where his child was for four or five hours, or who he was with, or how to get in touch with anyone. That seems a little dangerous for the child," Smith said.

The little boy is now in DHS custody while investigators determine if his house is a safe place for him to live.

According to the police report, Byers told officers he had an alcoholic beverage at 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. The arrest report says Byers is on probation out of Missouri for child endangerment.

Police booked Byers into the Tulsa County jail on public intoxication and child neglect complaints. Jail records show Byers' bond was $50,100 with a court appearance set for January 28.