Minn. man agrees to joint custody of son LAKEVILLE, Minn., Feb. 23 (UPI) -- A Lakeville, Minn., father who abandoned his son in their home last summer agreed in court to create a joint child-custody agreement with the child's mother. In Dakota County District Court Wednesday, Steven A. Cross, 60, said he would cooperate with his 11-year-old son Sebastian's mother, Katik Porter, and her attorney in creating a joint-custody agreement for the boy, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported. After the hearing, Cross said he was happy with the progress made Wednesday. "I'm seeing progress," he said. If his mother wants to get back in his life now, that's great. On July 18, Cross, who was out of work, left Minnesota and drove to Cambria, Calif., where he found work at a deli and lived in his van. He left notes for Sebastian, telling him to go to a close friend's house and asked the friend's parents, John and Joanne Pahl, to care for him until late August. "I've had circumstances, and circumstances matter to adults, but they don't matter to my son, Sebastian," Cross said. I got to separate those two. I'm making progress on it. Cross was arrested Aug. 29 on child neglect charges and extradited to Minnesota. In January, he was convicted of gross misdemeanor child neglect. He is scheduled for sentencing March 20 and is likely facing two years of probation but no additional jail time, the judge in the case said.