Child Protective Services has opened an investigation into a situation that has, thus far, yielded little in the way of answers. A little boy was found wandering in the street on Detroit’s Eastside and has since been reunited with his mother. But officials feel that the circumstances surrounding this incident should perhaps receive some closer scrutiny.

The little boy was found outside, at a time when the temperature was about 6 degrees with a windchill of -5 degree, according to the National Weather Service. Temperatures in this range are well below freezing, and very dangerous for an unattended toddler, as hypothermia can set in quickly. In standardized temperature charts explaining safe weather conditions for children, 6 degrees is listed as an unsafe outdoor temperature for toddlers.

Police say that the boy was found at about 3 pm in the afternoon, dressed only in a little red hooded sweatshirt and jeans. He wasn’t wearing a coat or any other protective clothing at the time that he was found.

Officers who first intercepted the boy attempted to discover any identifying information that would allow them to find his parents or the home he had come from, but he was apparently difficult to understand and was not communicating well. The best the officers were able to discern was that his name was either Fred or Franklin.

He was estimated to be about two years old, and authorities were unsure at the time how he came to be alone on the street in freezing weather. Police took the boy back to the 9th Precinct with them until his parents or guardian could be located.
They then apparently sought the assistance of the public in attempting to identify who the boy was and where he lived. After several hours the toddler was reunited with his mother, but no other information has yet been provided. We are glad to know that the family is reunited and that no one was harmed.