Man Accused Of Abandoning Daughter At North Shore Responds To Charges

An Ohio man is charged with child endangerment after police said he left his 6-year-old daughter at a Pittsburgh bar and restaurant while he tailgated before a Pirates game.

Police said Robert Strohmeyer, 42, of Columbus, Ohio, left his daughter inside the Jerome Bettis’s Grille 36 near PNC Park on Saturday.

Investigators said he was with his girlfriend and two children, then got into an argument with the woman.

Authorities said she left, then Strohmeyer left with his 8-year-old son, giving his daughter $6 to pay for food.

While employees sat with the girl, police said the older child later returned to retrieve her while Strohmeyer drank in a nearby parking lot.

In court Friday, Strohmeyer's case was waived to trial. His ex-wife told Channel 11 she thinks he should stay in jail.

"I believe he should be punished. Obviously I'm not the judge or court but he'll never be able to see his children again unsupervised. I will make sure of that," said Nicole Skedel.

Strohmeyer was released from jail Friday afternoon.

We contacted Strohmeyer about the incident and he had this to say:

"I do realize what i did was wrong, but at that particular time, my intentions were good in trying to make my kids happy at the same time."

Strohmeyer said he drove his children from Ohio to Pittsburgh to see a baseball game, but then his daughter decided she did not want to go. Strohmeyer then took her to the Jerome Bettis Grille 36. He described the conversation he had with the waitress.

"My daughter decided what she wanted and I said I will leave her with some money and just go ahead and get that for her and something to drink and what I will do is me and my son will leave and go over to the vehicle and ask my girlfriend to come back and get her."

Unfortunately, no adults ever came to pick up his daughter. After a period of time passed, employees at the restaurant called police.

"I am going to see if I can get into some parenting classes," said Strohmeyer.