Police: Pit bull 'babysat' infant while man drank at bar

Palm Coast - A Florida man is facing child neglect charges after he reportedly left a 10-month-old baby in the care of a pit bull while he went out to have a few drinks on Friday night.

The mother of the 10-month old left her child in the care of 41-year-old James R. Irvine, when she left for work on Nov. 30, according to the Daytona Beach News-Journal. However, Irvine soon abandoned the child to go out drinking. The mother, who is not named in the Flagler County sheriff's report, reportedly became alarmed after she tried contacting Irvine several times Friday night. When Irvine finally picked up the mother's phone calls he reportedly told her "I'm watching the game," and hung up on her, the newspaper reports. The woman said when she arrived home, she discovered Irvine trying to get back into the house through the garage door, and that he was urinating on himself, MSN states. According to KHQ News, when asked why he left the baby alone, Irvine said he had not "left the baby alone," because the "pit bull was watching the baby." The dog was sitting outside the room where the child was left. The door was shut, and the child was allegedly crying, the Daytona Beach News-Journal reported. Irvine was arrested at 12:30 a.m. Saturday after the child's mother reported that he left the infant alone and brought to the Flagler County Inmate Facility. He was later released on $1,500 bail, the newspaper reports.