Children left alone with knife, ax, bat for protection

ST. PETERSBURG -- Daniel R. Stewart, of 350 74th Ave. N, was arrested Tuesday night after two children went to neighbors and said he had left them alone, with weapons for protection.

Stewart, 30, left the children, 7 and 6, alone in his home for 90 minutes, police said. He gave the 7-year-old girl a hunting knife, ax and baseball bat, and told her to use it for protection if she needed to, police said.

After an hour, the children went to a neighbor's house, and the neighbor called police.

Stewart was charged with child neglect and booked into the Pinellas County jail. Bail was set at $2,000.

Police did not identify the children or explain their relationship to Stewart.

Stephen Nohlgren, Times Staff Writer

[Photo: Pinellas County Sheriff's Office]

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