SKOWHEGAN — A Skowhegan woman was held Thursday at the Somerset County Jail after her arrest Wednesday afternoon on a charge of endangering the welfare of a child.

Shawna Towers, 29, was arrested by Skowhegan police after a passer-by called police to report a 5-year-old child playing in a mud puddle while wearing only a sweatshirt provided by the caller, according to a news release from the Skowhegan Police Department. The child was spotted near the corner of Russell Road and Spring Street, according to Detective Katelyn Nichols. The caller reportedly knocked on the door of home at 3 Russell Road, and after getting no response, called the police.

Nichols, along with police Chief Donald Bolduc and Sgt. Josh King, went to the house, where they found Towers, listed in the jail arrest log as a transient, and two other adults, and all three said they were unaware that the child was outside.

The child was taken to Redington-Fairview General Hospital in Skowhegan for a medical evaluation. The Maine Department of Health and Human Services was contacted and a caseworker investigated the incident at the hospital while the child was cared for by Skowhegan police, according to the release. The child later was placed in the care of a family member.

Nichols said in the release that a similar incident involving Towers occurred in January, when the same child was seen running in and out of traffic on Waterville Road in Skowhegan. Skowhegan police made a referral to DHHS after that incident.

Wednesday’s incident remains under investigation by Skowhegan police and DHHS.

Towers is due in court to face the charge Friday. She was being held late Thursday in lieu of $1,000 cash bail, according to a jail intake worker.

Doug Harlow — 612-2367

dharlow@centralmaine.com

Twitter:@Doug_Harlow