Colorado father arrested after leaving 4-year-old daughter alone in drug-filled apartment

Around 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Boulder police discovered a four-year-old standing alone on a balcony of an apartment littered with marijuana and other drug items. Unable to open the door, the child was rescued after officers climbed a fence and patrol cars, and she was later escorted to her mother’s home in Denver. The father, identified as Paul Wilson, told officers the girl was asleep when he stepped out to buy food and declined to go back to the unit.

Detectives later found Wilson at a local bar, where he possessed nearly 15 grams of cocaine and a large wad of cash, leading to his arrest. He faces charges of child abuse, reckless endangerment, felony cocaine possession and felony drug distribution. Police emphasized that the child was unharmed and praised the community’s response.