5-year-old crosses Highway 54 while parents sleep

FULTON, Mo. - The Police Department responded early Friday morning to a call that a 5-year-old boy had allegedly wandered into Fastlane at 551 Amerihost Drive from a motel room across the highway.

The call came at 3:54 a.m. when Fastlane employees called FPD to report a child had entered the store unaccompanied by his parents. The boy, who is autistic, was found wandering through the store. A press release sent by the department states officers recognized the child through previous interaction with him and knew his parents to be Blain D. Johnson, 29, and Hollie A. Johnson, 30, both of Fulton.

"The child has been able to get out of the house many a time, so this has happened before," FPD Sgt. Stan Holt said. "We recognized the child, we just didn't know what direction he had come from. But we knew what they drove; we canvassed the immediate area looking for their vehicle."

The Johnsons were found asleep in a shared room at the Westwood Motel. The release states officers believe the child left the room some time after midnight.

Blain Johnson was arrested on violation of a full order of protection, second offense, and transported to the Callaway County Jail where he was held on $4,500 bond.

According to online court records at Missouri Case.net, Hollie and Blain Johnson were divorced in 2011, at which point Hollie Johnson was awarded sole legal and physical custody of the child. Blain Johnson was issued a protection order in Boone County in May 2012 for adult abuse without stalking and in Callaway in August 2013 for adult abuse with stalking. He has an adult abuse hearing scheduled Oct. 10.

Holt said Blain and Hollie Johnson appeared to be willingly sharing the motel room.

The Division of Family Services and the juvenile office were contacted by police. Holt said the child was taken into custody by DFS and his grandparents were contacted.

An investigation is currently ongoing, and more charges are pending.

Accompanying photo: Blain D. Johnson