On July 6 at approximately 11:49 p.m., New York State Police at Owego arrested Gusta R. Manuel, age 36 of Owego, for the misdemeanor of Endangering the Welfare of a Child. A trooper was dispatched by Tioga County 911 for a domestic dispute where Manuel was accused of taking a 16-month-old child without permission and left a residence on Schoolhouse Road in the Town of Tioga. Manuel is the parent of the child but does not have custody.
As the trooper responded to the call, he spotted Manuel walking with a small child on Swartlick Road. The child was not harmed and appeared to be sleeping. The custodial parent arrived and took custody of the child. Manuel was arrested and arraigned in the Town of Tioga, court where he was remanded to the Tioga County jail on $500 cash bail or $1,000 bond.