Detroit police have located the parents of a non-verbal young boy who was found alone outside a beauty supply store on the city's west side late Thursday night, wearing nothing but an oversized yellow shirt. Police were no longer seeking public assistance, according to WDIV ClickOnDetroit's October 16, 2026, update.
According to FOX 2 Detroit, the boy was located by officers outside Hairline Beauty Supply at 19851 W. Warren at about 10 p.m. Thursday. The store sits on Warren Avenue near Rouge Park on Detroit's west side, as WDIV ClickOnDetroit reported. Police say the child was wearing only the oversized yellow shirt when he was found.
Officers Canvassed the Area but Found No Leads
Detroit police officers canvassed the surrounding area that night trying to track down the boy's parents, but the effort turned up no leads, per the FOX 2 Detroit report. The Detroit Police Child Abuse Unit is now investigating alongside Child Protective Services, the station notes, as authorities work to determine the child's identity and circumstances.
Detroit police have located the boy's parents and are no longer seeking public assistance, according to WDIV ClickOnDetroit's October 16, 2026, update.
Other Cases of Children Found Alone on Detroit's West Side
This is not the first time a non-verbal child has turned up alone on Detroit's west side. In a separate case, a nonverbal 10-year-old girl was found wandering near Plainview and West Warren wearing only a blanket, and she was later reunited with her family, according to WWJ Newsradio.
A different incident unfolded just across the border in Warren, Michigan, where multiple children roughly two to three years old were seen wandering alone in an apartment complex parking lot. Police there took the children back to the station and contacted Child Protective Services before locating and arresting their mother, FOX 2 Detroit reported in that case.
Under Michigan law, an officer may take a child into protective custody without a court order only if there is reasonable cause to believe the child is at substantial risk of harm or in surroundings presenting an imminent risk of harm, and immediate removal is necessary to protect the child's health and safety, according to the Michigan Legislature.
Detroit police have located the boy's parents and are no longer asking residents in the Rouge Park area and beyond for information to help reunite him with his family.
