A nonverbal boy was found walking alone on Detroit's west side Thursday afternoon, and his parents have since been located. Officers say the boy was spotted walking northbound on Heyden Street toward Tireman Avenue at around 2:30 p.m.
Detroit police had sought the public's help locating the child's parents, who have since been located, according to ClickOnDetroit.
Police have since located the child's parents. Officers canvassed the surrounding area in an effort to locate family members but were unsuccessful, per the same report.
Child Abuse Unit Takes Over Investigation
The case has been handed to the Detroit Police Department's Child Abuse Unit, which is now leading the investigation. The unit had asked anyone who recognized the boy, or had information that could help locate his parents, to come forward.
A Similar Case Resolved Earlier This Month
This is not the first time this month that Detroit police have put out a public call after finding a young nonverbal child alone. A separate report from Oct. 16 described a nonverbal child found alone outside a beauty supply store on W. Warren Avenue, a case that was also handled jointly by the Child Abuse Unit and Child Protective Services, the outlet noted. In that instance, police said they later located the child's parents and no longer needed the public's help, though it is not established whether that case involved the same child found on Heyden Street this week.
FOX 2 Detroit also covered the search for that child's parents at the time.
State Guidance on Reporting Missing Children
Cases like these fall under broader procedures tracked by Michigan's missing-children clearinghouse, which oversees whether law enforcement agencies properly and immediately enter missing children under 18 into the state's Law Enforcement Information Network and the National Crime Information Center, according to Michigan State Police. The agency also advises that when publicizing a missing-person case may help, there is no reason to wait. As Michigan State Police puts it on its missing persons resource page, “It's never too soon in these instances and time may be of the essence.”
The parents of the boy found on Heyden Street have since been located, and the Child Abuse Unit's investigation continues.
