The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) are seeking assistance from the public to identify a young child found abandoned in a car following an attempted theft in Highland Park. According to CBS News Los Angeles, on the morning of Sunday, December 28, an individual attempted to steal a car parked on the 300 block of North Avenue 52, but fled, leaving behind a roughly two-year-old boy and a dog in the vehicle.
LAPD officers arrived at the scene around 10 a.m. after the car's owner reported witnessing the attempted grand theft. The police scoured the area for the suspect without success. It was observed by officers that the dog in the car "appeared familiar" with the child, hinting at a possible connection between the two. The child, who has a medium complexion and curly brown hair, was dressed in a gray quarter-zip sweater. A CBS News report notes that the DCFS has taken the child into their care and is working with authorities to uncover his identity, as no family members or custodial parent has come forward to claim him.
The LAPD's Media Relations Division released a statement detailing their efforts to locate the child's family, which have been thus far fruitless. They are appealing to the community for any information that can help reunite the child with his family. The department described the child as male, with medium complexion, curly brown hair, wearing a light gray quarter-zip sweater at the time he was found. Further details can be found in a news release posted by the LAPD.
LAPD News: LAPD and DCFS Request the Public’s Help to Identify Found Child pic.twitter.com/PVsZwZNLJo
— LAPD PIO (@LAPDPIO) December 30, 2025
Anyone who recognizes the child or has crucial information is encouraged to contact the LAPD Northeast Division Watch Commander at (323) 561-3211, or Detective II Ryan Lamar via email at [email protected]. The public can also reach out to the DCFS Hotline at 1-800-540-4000 with any helpful leads. For those preferring to remain anonymous, the LA Regional Crime Stoppers can be contacted directly through their website, or by using the "P3 Tips" mobile app, selecting the LA Regional Crime Stoppers as their local program. The LAPD has emphasized the importance of community assistance in situations where vulnerable individuals, particularly children, find themselves in precarious predicaments without identification or family to claim them.
