Last week, a special needs child was left behind at Chuck-E-Cheese during a school field trip to Alexandria.

He was a student at Leesville Junior High. A Marksville woman, who just happened to be there for her grandchild’s birthday found the boy on a ride and notified Alexandria police and the restaurant manager. It wasn’t long before school employees were back to pick him up.

Superintendent of Vernon Parish Schools, Doctor Cynthia Gillespie, talked about the incident. She said the it was an unfortunate situation that should never have happened and the child was not deliberately left.

Gillespie wasn’t able to comment on what happened to the personnel involved. The principal has made contact with the boy’s parents and apologized. She said steps have been taken to make sure this doesn’t happen again.