Man arrested in Sacramento County after paying homeless woman to care for his granddaughter

(FOX40.COM) – A grandfather was arrested Sunday after he allegedly gave a homeless woman $20 to watch his granddaughter while he visited a nearby bar, according to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office.

On Tuesday, FOX40.com spoke with the homeless woman the sheriff’s office calls a “guardian angel.”

“I thought, ‘Okay, this is a big deal…you don’t know who I am,’ but I knew she would be safe with me,” Lauren Hope, 34, told FOX40.com.

At 7:45 p.m., officers responded to reports of a man asking people for help finding his seven-year-old granddaughter, who had allegedly been kidnapped.

When officers met with the man, Jason Warren, they discovered he was “heavily intoxicated” and he allegedly told them he gave a homeless woman $20 to take his granddaughter to a nearby thrift store could.

“She was about 28 to 30 years old,” Warren told FOX40.com. “I knew I could tell by her character that she seemed like a decent person. I trusted her like I would trust my sister or my cousin.”

After giving the woman the money, the man entered a bar where he stayed for about four hours.

The sheriff’s office used a helicopter, unmanned aerial systems and K9 units to help search for the woman and girl.

After hearing the loudspeaker announcements from the helicopter, the woman returned to the parking lot with the girl, where she said the man gave her money to take his grandchild to a nearby thrift store.

“She wasn’t scared at all and it felt like something had happened before,” Hope said.

The girl confirmed the woman’s story and was medically examined by the Sacramento Fire Department as a precaution.

The man was arrested and faces child endangerment and other charges. He faces a $75,000 bond and will appear in court on Wednesday.

When asked by FOX40.com if he would do it again, Warren replied, “Yes, I would.” I didn’t do anything wrong. Everything I did, I told God and said, ‘It is your will, God, not my will.'” Thy will be done.'”

After being released by Child Protective Services, the child eventually returned home to his aunt, who had sole custody of him.