ATTLEBORO, Mass. — Police say a man escaped a group home and ended up inappropriately touching two children.
According to the Attleboro Police Department, the 22-year-old dodged employees at the McDonalds on Pleasant Street and committed several crimes Sunday afternoon.
Children told police they were inside the play place of the fast food restaurant when they were inappropriately touched by a man.
According to a police report, a 7-year-old girl told her father the man touched her upper chest and a 4-year old boy said the same man put playing cards in his underwear.
That was enough for Attleboro police to arrest Joshua Jones and charge him with indecent assault and battery, among other charges.
That's when they learned there was more to the story.
According to the report, Jones is developmentally delayed and has the intellectual level of a 7-year old, possibly younger.
His parents told police he lives at this residential facility on Bishop Street contracted by the Mass. Dept. of Developmental Services.
Police say it appears Jones escaped from this house Sunday afternoon during a shift change and walked nearly two miles to the McDonald's.
Employees at the home would not speak to FOX25, but neighbors say they are upset about what happened and upset they were not notified about the group home.
"We were never informed and like what I was told from the police officers is they don’t have to inform us,” one neighbor said.
The neighbors tell FOX25 they did have suspicions that it was more than just a single-family residence.
"Individuals throwing rocks at city buses individuals throwing rocks at buses period, they throw rocks at their own staff, individuals climbing on their roof,” the neighbor said.
Now that they're aware of the allegations, the neighbors say they are equally upset over the group home's location right across from these ball fields and playground.
"There is tons of children you should see the Pee Wees playing football, playing baseball, little kids no higher than your waist,” one woman said. “Thank you for bringing it to my attention.”