Lockport father accused of kicking then leaving child at bar

A Lockport father has been arrested after he was accused of abandoning his child at Joliet Township bar and kicking the child, police said.

Shortly after 9 p.m. on Monday, Steven Canady, 45, was taken to the jail on a felony charge of child abandonment and misdemeanor charges of domestic battery and endangering a child, according to a statement from the Will County Sheriff’s Office.

About 90 minutes earlier, deputies responded to a bar for a report of an abandoned child. The bar is Saloon2, 1827 E. Washington St., Joliet, according to Kevin Hedemark, sheriff’s office spokesman.

“Upon arrival, deputies located a toddler inside the establishment who had a visible injury to the upper lip,” police said.

A “concerned citizen” at the bar “informed deputies” the child’s father had entered the bar earlier and asked patrons to watch his child, police said.

“Fearing for the child’s safety, the citizen agreed to care for the child and immediately called 911,” police said.

The child’s face had dried blood, which was cleaned before deputies arrived, police said. Deputies reviewed photos taken earlier that showed blood around the child’s nose and mouth.

“(A) Witness and the child alleged that the injuries were the result of the father kicking the child,” police said.

Canady returned to the bar and he was taken into custody without incident, police said.

Canady remains in the Will County jail as of Tuesday.