Child, 5, Found Alone by Charleston Railroad Tracks; Man Charged After Jumping Into Kanawha River
Police say a man ran off with a 5-year-old after his vehicle broke down on the 35th Street Bridge ramp; the child was found alone near the tracks and the man jumped into the Kanawha River before his arrest.
A frightening Halloween afternoon in Charleston ended with a 5-year-old child found alone beside the railroad tracks and a man under arrest after police say he ran from officers and jumped into the Kanawha River.
Devon Green is charged with child neglect creating risk of injury, according to a criminal complaint filed in the case on Saturday, October 31, 2026.
How it started
According to the complaint, officers were sent out on a 911 call after Green's vehicle became disabled on the 35th Street Bridge exit ramp. The caller reported that Green was standing outside the vehicle with a small child and yelling for help.
The Charleston Fire Department says Green moved the vehicle off the ramp and parked it in a gravel parking spot on Washington Street East, then ran off with the child, the complaint states.
A child found alone in the brush
An officer then spotted what looked like someone running east along the railroad tracks, according to the complaint. Officers walked the tracks and found a small child sitting on the ground, alone, in leaves and brush. Investigators say the child is 5 years old.
That is the kind of moment that stops every parent's heart. Railroad corridors along the river are no place for a little one.
A run into the river
The complaint says an officer later saw Green peek around a corner in the 2000 block of Washington Street East. When the officer approached, Green took off. Officers say they told him to stop, but he kept running and jumped into the Kanawha River.
Green was taken into custody and charged with child neglect creating risk of injury. Officials have not released details on the child's condition, how Green and the child are related, or what led up to the 911 call, and no information about a court date was available Saturday.
What comes next
A criminal complaint is an accusation, not a finding of guilt. Green is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty in court.
The case comes on a night when thousands of West Virginia families will be out trick-or-treating. If you ever see a child who appears to be alone or in danger near tracks, roads or the river, call 911 right away. It's what neighbors do for each other here.
West Virginia Pulse will update this story as more information is released.
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