Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Northampton man accused of trying to barter baby for beer

CHICOPEE - A Northampton man who allegedly offered to give his 3-month-old daughter away to a stranger in exchange for beer Monday afternoon will be summoned to court today on a charge of reckless endangerment of a child, police said.

According to Chicopee police Capt. Thomas Charette, at 1 p.m., Matthew Brace, 24, offered to give his child to a motorist pumping gas at the Pride station on Burnett Road in exchange for two 40-ounce bottles of beer. "I guess they were involved in a conversation where a guy who was getting gas said, 'Hey, nice baby' and (Brace) basically said, 'Oh, you want her, here, take her,'" Charette said.

The motorist called police, who found Brace hiding with his baby behind a trash bin next to the business and issued the summons, Charette said.

The baby's mother, who was inside the gas station buying cigarettes at the time, was not charged, Charette said. Charette said members of the state's Department of Children and Families took temporary custody of the child.

- OWEN BOSS

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