By SYDNEY SCHWARTZ
The Patriot Ledger

PEMBROKE - A Pembroke man left his 2- and 3-year-old daughters alone at home while he drove around town drunk, police said.

Jonathan W. Baker, 37, of 5 Hatch Road, is charged with fifth-offense drunken driving. Police stopped him Sunday afternoon and seized the red pickup truck he was driving. Only after he was taken to the police station did he tell officers that his young children were at home by themselves, officers said.

Police went to Baker’s home, got the children and kept them for several hours until their mother picked them up.

‘‘It’s not a really good thing to go out and get (drunk) and leave your 2- and 3-year-old kids alone,’’ Pembroke Police Chief Willard Boulter Jr. said. ‘‘I can’t recall any (time) in my career that we’ve arrested somebody and they said they had two young kids at home.’’

Baker was arraigned yesterday at Plymouth District Court and is being held without bail. He is scheduled to return to court Thursday for a dangerousness hearing.

The state Department of Social Services is conducting a 10-day investigation of the family, a spokesman said.

Baker was arrested just before 2 p.m. Sunday after a woman told them that her vehicle had nearly been hit from behind by a red pickup truck.

She said the truck hit the curb on Center Street and turned onto Mattakeesett Street, striking the center island along the way. The driver then pulled into the Pembroke Center Mobil gas station, police said.

Police officers saw the truck being driven out of the gas station and across the center line into oncoming traffic. It stopped suddenly and backed up into the gas station.

When Baker opened his door, the officers reported, they smelled alcohol. They said Baker had trouble finding his license and registration and when he got out of the truck was unsteady on his feet and fell against the truck.

Baker’s attorney, Matthew Walsh, would not comment on the arrest.

Department of Social Services spokeswoman Denise Monteiro said the department left Baker’s children with their mother, but told her to find a more suitable caretaker.

In August 2005, Baker, who then lived in Scituate, was arrested after he allegedly drove into a tree and walked away, court officials said.

He was charged with third-offense drunken driving, leaving the scene of an accident after property damage and failure to travel in marked lanes.

Sydney Schwartz may be reached at sschwartz@ledger.com .

http://ledger.southofboston.com/articles/2007/05/08/news/news01.txt