Mo. dad of child hurt by ferret admits misdemeanor

INDEPENDENCE, Mo. (AP) - A Grain Valley man has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor after a pet ferret gnawed off several of his infant son's fingers in 2011.

The Kansas City Star reports (http://bit.ly/YjCsBU ) that Ryan Waldo pleaded guilty Friday to second-degree child endangerment in a plea deal. His trial was scheduled to start Monday on a charge of felony child endangerment.

Waldo and his wife, Carrie Waldo, were arrested in January 2011 after authorities found their ferret had chewed on their 4-month-old child's hands, leaving only two thumbs and part of a pinkie remaining.

Ryan Waldo also agreed that he would not see the child during a two-year probationary period, and would meet other sentencing conditions to avoid harsher punishment.

A trial for Carrie Waldo, the child's mother, is scheduled for June.

Upcoming Events