When police are contacted about a suspicious or strange situation involving a child, especially one where there is no obvious crime for them to pursue, they call in CPS. This way, they can turn over the investigation to an agency whose sole focus is investigating allegations of abuse and neglect. It also allows them to then step in later if there is anything uncovered by CPS that warrants criminal investigation.
In this particular case, a citizen found a toddler standing alone on the corner of the street at midnight, in a Detroit neighborhood known to have a high crime rate. The child, a little girl, is only 18-months old, and was standing on the corner of Wilfred and Gratiot, completely without any parental supervision.
Due to the child’s young age, the lateness of the hour, and the type of neighborhood, this was considered to be very dangerous for the child. The little girl was taken back to the Ninth Precinct, where she was cared for until a family member could be located.
The police put out messages via the media and on the Department’s Facebook page, hoping to find out who the toddler was, and where her caregivers might be. It was several hours before the child’s mother was located, and the pair were reunited.
According to Detroit Police Officer Dan Donakowski, all of the information that the department has on the case was given to CPS after the child was returned to her mother. And because CPS does not comment publicly on any cases under investigation, they have not released any information on the situation as of yet.
Police have said that they have very little information, and that they do not intend to release details while CPS is still investigating. They also claimed to have no idea how the child ended up on a street corner at midnight.
It is very likely that CPS will attempt to pursue the child’s mother for abandonment or neglect. However, it is worth remembering that the little girl may not have been in her mother’s care that night. Or she may have wandered away from their home while her mother was sleeping. There are a great many possibilities that do not immediately imply that this incident was the result of abuse or neglect.
As attorneys we would caution against hasty judgements by those who do not have all of the facts in hand. As parents, we are thrilled to hear that the child was unharmed and has been safely reunited with her mother.