Man pleads not guilty to child endangerment

(ABC 6 News) – A Le Center man has plead not guilty to a number of charges including child endangerment and domestic assault stemming from a September, 2021 incident.

37-year-old Michael Emmers was arrested after Rochester police said they received a call from a teenager reporting his father had been punching him in the face while driving on Highway 52. The teen told police he got out of the car, but that Emmers was intoxicated and a 4-year-old was also in the car.

Law enforcement found the car abandoned near Byron and a Minnesota State Patrol plane used thermal imaging to find Emmers and the child in a field nearby.

His jury trial has been scheduled for May 2.