The father of a 3-year-old Yonkers boy was arrested over the weekend for allegedly leaving his son alone and allowing him to wander outside in the freezing cold without his coat or shoes.

Charles Nichols told police that he left his son in his apartment on Roxbury Drive East Saturday night to buy medicine for the child. A driver who was passing by the building at around 8:30 p.m. spotted the 3-year-old walking outside and called police.

Police say the child spent five or 10 minutes in the 25-degree weather, but showed no signs of hypothermia. Investigators believe the boy left the apartment because he got scared of being alone.

Authorities say despite Nichols? explanation, he did not return to the apartment with any medicine. He was charged with endangering the welfare of a child and released without bail. The 3-year-old boy is currently staying with his mother, who also lives in Yonkers.