NYC school librarian arrested after leaving year-old daughter in hot car for nearly six hours – colleague breaks back window to save baby

NYC school librarian arrested after leaving year-old daughter in hot car for nearly six hours – colleague breaks back window to save baby

  • Michael Dodes, 41, left the child in his Subaru Forester on Thursday while he worked at Walter J. Damrosch School on Jennings Street in the Bronx
  • Another employee saw the baby in the car and, according to police, smashed the passenger’s rear window to get her out
  • Dodes was arrested and charged with endangering the welfare of a child

A New York City school librarian was arrested after leaving his one-year-old daughter alone in a parked car for nearly six hours before his colleague smashed a window to save her.

Michael Dodes, 41, left the child in his Subaru Forester Thursday while he worked at Walter J. Damrosch School on Jennings Street in the Bronx.

Another employee saw the baby in the car and, according to police, smashed the passenger’s rear window to get her out.

She was taken to Bronx Lebanon Hospital for examination and was found to have non-life-threatening injuries.

Dodes was arrested around 2:45 p.m. that day and charged with endangering the welfare of a child.

A New York City school librarian was arrested after leaving his one-year-old daughter alone in a parked car for nearly six hours before his colleague smashed a window to save her

Michael Dodes, 41, left the child in his Subaru Forester on Thursday while he worked at Walter J. Damrosch School on Jennings Street in the Bronx

Michael Dodes, 41, left the child in his Subaru Forester on Thursday while he worked at Walter J. Damrosch School on Jennings Street in the Bronx

“At 2:48 p.m. on Thursday, August 10, 2023, the next New York City employee on duty was arrested and charged within the confines of the 42 Precinct,” a New York Police Department spokesman said.

Dodes, who is married with two children, was reported to have worked as a newly hired librarian at the Walter J. Damrosch School, but officials said he would start next month.

“We commend the heroism of the school staff who took action to save this child from danger,” a spokesman for the city’s schools said.

Upon learning of this incident, the school immediately contacted NYPD and EMS, who responded to the scene. This employee will be placed away from students.’

Dodes is a current employee of the New York City Department of Education. His LinkedIn page revealed that he worked as a library coordinator for the Queens Office of School Library Service as of 2017.

Prior to that, he worked as a library coordinator for North Brooklyn.

Dodes was arrested around 2:45 p.m. that day and charged with endangering the well-being of a child

Dodes was arrested around 2:45 p.m. that day and charged with endangering the well-being of a child

He worked as a library media specialist and worked with students with special needs in the Bronx and Harlem for over nine years until 2016.

A profile for Dodes at the 2021 New York City School Tech Summit read, “Michael has expertise in coding, educational technology, copyright laws and licensing, and accessibility, all of which he develops extensively professionally.

“Michael was a school librarian in the Bronx and Harlem for 10 years before joining the Library Services team. He has expertise in copyright, privacy, digital and physical accessibility, coding, website/graphic design and gaming.’

Dailymail.com has contacted Walter J. Damrosch School for comment.