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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; A Plains Township man who city police alleged abandoned a 6-month-old girl at the Toys R Us store on Kidder Street last month was arraigned Thursday morning.</p><p>Thomas Himlin Jr., 24, of Union Street, was charged by city police on May 4 after investigating the abandonment of the infant at the toy store on May 2.</p><p>Police allege Himlin entered the store and asked an employee to watch the infant. Himlin then left and never returned, police allege.</p><p>Himlin was arraigned via video by District Judge Richard Cronauer on a single count of endangering the welfare of a child. He was released on $10,000 unsecured bail.</p><p>According to the criminal complaint:</p><p>Police were sent to Kidder Street for several reports happening at about 7:30 p.m. on May 2, including men fighting in the street, a hitchhiker, and a man who claimed he was in a crash before leaving a baby with an employee at Toys R Us.</p><p>Toy store employees told police a man, identified as Himlin, entered the store saying he was involved in a fight with two other men at Valley Dinner on Kidder Street. Himlin arrived at the store driving a green Ford Escape that had front-end damage and deployed air bags.</p><p>Himlin initially entered the store alone and asked an employee to call his cell phone in a few minutes. Himlin left, but returned to the store with an infant in a child car seat.</p><p>Himlin placed the infant down and asked an employee to watch the baby while he looked for his phone in his vehicle. Himlin left the store and never returned.</p><p>Witnesses told police when Himlin left, he entered a white Ford driven by a woman and occupied by another man. They helped Himlin into the vehicle before driving out of the parking lot.</p><p>Police traced the damaged Ford Escape to Himlin&#8217;s residence where his parents, Thomas Himlin Sr. and Carla Himlin, reside. Police also found the white Ford parked in the driveway of the house.</p><p>Carla Himlin allegedly told police her son was involved in a crash while caring for the baby. She claimed she was aware her son left the infant at the toy store and had intentions of returning.</p><p>Police said the infant&#8217;s biological mother, Venessa Filip, contacted police on May 3, nearly 21 hours after the infant was abandoned at the toy store.</p><p>Filip allegedly told police Himlin offered to baby-sit her daughter as she was busy moving from her residence on Williams Street in Pittston. Filip said she went with a friend to have dinner at Friendly&#8217;s on Kidder Street and was not able to contact Himlin to tell him to drop off her daughter at the restaurant.</p><p>Filip claimed she attempted several times to contact Himlin but was not able to connect with him. She went to Himlin&#8217;s residence in Plains Township and was told by his parents Himlin was involved in a crash and her daughter was in protective custody.</p><p>Police said they found Himlin&#8217;s damaged cell phone along state Route 315. The cell phone number was the same number given to the toy store employee, police said. </p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Ed Lewis</p><p>elewis@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div>

Plains man arraigned on charges he abandoned infant in toy store