A child was found alone Saturday morning in the area of Delbert and Boston avenues, and Baltimore County Police still don't know the child's name or age. Officers posted the child's picture on social media around 5 a.m. and are asking the public for help identifying the youngster.
According to WMAR-2 News, police have not yet determined the child's age or name, and the case remains a developing story. The location is in ZIP code 21222, according to WMAR-2 News; Mapcarta identifies Baltimore County Police Department's Precinct 12 at 428 Westham Way in ZIP code 21224. Anyone with information has been asked to call 911 or 410-887-7320.
Police Seek Information
Baltimore County Police Department's Precinct 12, the Dundalk Precinct, is based at 428 Westham Way, per Baltimore County Government. In this case, the response included a public appeal to identify the child.
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children discusses the Unaccompanied Minors Registry and national missing and unidentified-person databases, according to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. It remains unknown whether a matching missing-person report has been found in this case.
What Maryland Law Says About Unattended Children
Maryland law draws specific lines around leaving young children alone. Under Family Law Code § 5-801, it is a criminal misdemeanor to leave a child under 8 locked or confined in a dwelling, building, enclosure, or vehicle out of sight without a supervisor at least 13 years old, according to Justia Law; violations can bring fines or up to 30 days in jail. Separately, Maryland Criminal Law § 3-602.1 describes child neglect as an intentional failure to provide for a child's physical needs or mental health that creates a substantial risk of harm.
Whether the child in Dundalk wandered from a nearby home, and whether any neglect charges will ultimately follow once a family is located, remain open questions. Police officers, human service workers, and health practitioners who come into contact with an unattended or potentially neglected child are legally mandated reporters in Maryland, required to file immediate oral and written reports with Child Protective Services, according to The Maryland People's Law Library.
Recent Cases Highlight a Pattern
Baltimore-area police have publicly appealed for help identifying an unsupervised child. Baltimore Police issued a similar alert after finding an unattended toddler in Belair-Edison or Northeast Baltimore; the parent later located the boy, according to WBAL NewsRadio.
A separate case involving six unattended children was also reported.
For now, Baltimore County Police have released no further details on the Dundalk case beyond the child's location and the report that the picture was posted around 5 a.m. The investigation remains active, and officers continue to ask anyone with information to come forward as they work to identify the child.
