Deputies Locate The Parents Of Child Found Wandering The Streets

OAKLAND COUNTY, MI — Three-year-old Ben was found wandering the streets of Pontiac early on Nov. 29. He told Oakland Sheriff's Office Deputies his name was Ben, but he didn't know his parents' names or where he lived. Deputies have since located the boy's parents, according to a news release.

The break in the case came around approximately 1:00 p.m. on Nov. 29, according to Sheriff's Deputies. They were conducting another canvass of the neighborhood where the boy was found when they were told of a potential address for the child in the 300 block of Baldwin. There was no answer and Deputies entered the residence to conduct a welfare check and found a 16-year-old girl sleeping in a bedroom. She provided information that led to Ben's mother, a 40-year-old Pontiac resident, and father, a 33-year-old Pontiac resident, who both responded to the Sheriff's Pontiac Substation.

The teenage girl reportedly said she was not the designated babysitter and did not know the child had been dropped off at the home. Deputies report that initial information indicates that there was a miscommunication between the parents and the babysitter who was supposed to be at that house when the child was dropped off and she was not there.

Child Protective Services was contacted and have taken temporary custody of Ben until the investigation is complete.

Photo courtesy of the Oakland County Sheriff's Office