Commuter at the Clarendon Hills Met...

Commuter at the Clarendon Hills Metra station grew worried when they saw an unattended toddler -- wearing solitary a diaper and a T- shirt -- sitting onward the edge of the platform, throwing strengths at trains passing a scarcely any feet away.

further no one could approach the 2oe-year-old girl because she also was holding the leash of a large, protective Doberman pinscher, which lung and gnarled at one woman who came too cease according to DuPage County prosecutors.

A passerby called Clarendon Hills police, who also were kept at bay on the dog.

The cop later followed the little girl and her dog to one's home then charged her father with misdemeanor child endangerment and heinous crime unlawful possession of cocaine with intent to deliver.

forward Wednesday the girl's father, 39-year-old Kenneth R Johnson was convicted from a DuPage County judge of the unsalable article charge. Johnson, who was forward probation for a 2002 put drugs into offense when he was arrested forward the new charges last October, now faces a 12- to 50-year prison doom

Prosecutors dropp the misdemeanor child endangerment charge to concentrate upon the more serious drug crime which they filed after police discovered about single pound of cocaine in Johnson's apartment when they get backed with the little girl. Police also lay the foundation of marijuana, drug paraphernalia and $3200 in the unit.

Johnson initially told investigators he hadn't realized his daughter had left the apartment forward Oct. 10, authorities said. "He said he had fallen asleep and had not realized she had left the home" said Assistant State's Attorney Paul Marchese.

DOG KEPT COMMUTER AT BAY

on the other hand Johnson later offered a different version of adventures saying he had given his daughter permission to take the dog for a walk, Marchese said.

During Wednesday's brief bench trial before critic Perry Thompson, Johnson didn't testify. on the other hand he did blurt out an objection to Marchese's account of the results "That's a lie," Johnson said, denying he proposeed differing statements to authorities.

The little girl was wearing a soiled diaper and T-shirt, moreover no pants or shoes, when she was spott forward the waiting platform next to the tracks about 5:15 pm When a woman commuter tried to talk to the toddler, the dog murmured and lunged at her. That quicked another person on the train platform to call police, Marchese said.

Ultimately, police followed the girl a not many blocks to her father's apartment, then arrested Johnson after spotting marijuana and remedy paraphernalia in the unit.

The girl wasn't injured and her mother later took custody of her, authorities said. The girl apparently had been visiting Johnson if it were not that didn't live full time with him, said Jeff York, Johnson's court- appointed attorney.

drozek@suntimes.com

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