A Northern California man sparked a massive law enforcement search for his granddaughter after he paid a random homeless woman $20 to babysit her while he got drunk, authorities reported.

Jason Warren, 54, handed $20 to the homeless woman on Monday, asking her to take his 7-year-old granddaughter to a thrift store while he went into a nearby bar for four hours, according to the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office. Later, a "highly intoxicated" Warren appeared in a parking lot on Auburn Boulevard in Sacramento, pleading for help and claiming his granddaughter had been kidnapped for human trafficking.

The sheriff's department immediately launched a search involving a helicopter, drones, and a dog unit. Amidst the search, the homeless woman, identified as Lauren Jope, 34, heard announcements from the helicopter and returned to the parking lot with the child.

"The female confirmed that Warren had given her money to take the child to the thrift store. She went on to tell deputies that Warren was highly intoxicated and she did not think he could care for the child," the sheriff's statement said. "The female took the child to her 'camp' to get food. Deputies spoke with the child, who corroborated the ordeal."

Fortunately, the girl did not appear to have been physically harmed during her time with Jope. "I'm glad that I was walking when I was, because, you know, she could have been left with some man or somebody who doesn't want to watch her," Jope told reporters. "I just wanted to make sure she was safe, she's OK."

Jope recounted that shortly after their initial meeting, Warren became belligerently drunk, which led her to fear for the girl's safety. "The guy was totally belligerently drunk and just kind of scary. He turned into a totally different person, and so I got his granddaughter away until things kind of simmered down," she said.

Sheriff's Sgt. Amar Gandhi praised Jope's actions, calling her a "guardian angel" and expressing deep gratitude for her intervention. "We were miraculously lucky that it was Lauren that stepped in," Gandhi said. "I can't sing her praises high enough."

Warren was booked on suspicion of child endangerment but was released from custody on Wednesday. Despite his arrest, Warren defended his actions in a jailhouse interview with KTXL-TV of Sacramento. "She was about 28 to 30 years old... I could tell by her character that she was a decent person. I trusted her like I would trust my sister or my cousin," Warren said. He expressed confusion over his arrest, stating, "I didn't do anything wrong. Everything I did, I told God, 'It's your will, God, not my will. Let your will be done. You put this lady in my path so that I could have someone watch my granddaughter.'"

Authorities confirmed that the girl's aunt, who has full custody, had asked Warren to care for the child while she went to work. The incident has raised serious concerns about Warren's judgment and the safety of the child in his care.

As the investigation continues, the incident highlights the critical importance of ensuring the safety and well-being of children and the potential risks associated with leaving them in the care of strangers. It also underscores the unpredictable nature of trusting individuals without proper vetting, especially in vulnerable situations.