A 31-year-old Hastings, Nebraska, man named Austin Hendrick faces felony child abuse charges after a 15-month-old girl he was babysitting was found alone in a rural ditch in early October 2025.
Discovery of Child
A passerby spotted the toddler sitting in a ditch along South Marian Road in Adams County around 8 a.m. on October 4. Deputies arrived to find a truck driver holding her; she was taken to Mary Lanning Healthcare in Hastings, where she was deemed healthy overall but had widespread insect bites, a soiled diaper, and rash.
Hendrick’s Account
Hendrick, living about 1.5 miles away, claimed an intruder took the child while he briefly fed his dogs, leaving his door open. He also mentioned driving his son near Southern Hills Golf Course (roughly 2 miles from the site) around 3:30 a.m. that day to soothe him back to sleep; investigators sought his vehicle’s GPS data.
Arrest and Court Status
After a months-long probe, Hendrick was arrested last week, arraigned on January 22, 2026, with $15,000 bail (10% down). He’s no longer listed in jail, and a preliminary hearing is set for January 30; the child’s identity remains private.
