NC Man Heralded After Helping Little Girl Found Wandering Alone

CHARLOTTE, NC — A Charlotte man's quick-thinking and kindness helped reunite a little girl with her family after he found her wandering around by herself in the cold before daybreak recently.

Javin Kea found the little girl standing next to a car and shivering in his apartment complex parking lot in the University area of Charlotte around 4 a.m. Sunday morning, WJZY reported. She wasn't wearing a coat, and he took off his own to help keep her warm in the 40-degree predawn chill. Then, he snapped a photo.

"Found lil mama outside… Can y'all share this?" he said, via Twitter.

He began knocking on doors, but got no responses, and called police. Then, his instincts as an uncle kicked in.

"My nieces love Frozen and I saw when that first came out, that was kind of a thing kids loved, so I was just like…I put Frozen on and go from there,” Kea told the station.

Kea said police asked him to keep the little girl inside while they continued to knock on doors to no avail.

"Police took her," Kea said, via a Twitter update. "No luck on finding her parents."

Later Sunday morning, however, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department reunited the girl with her parents, according to the station, who tracked down the child's mother. "She didn't offer an explanation as to how her daughter got out of the apartment but did say thank you to the man who likely saved her life," WJZY said.

Kea's actions were heralded by strangers following the unfolding details on social media, as well as Charlotte's top city official.

"Thank God for great neighbors! Glad you found her and we’re able to contact CMPD for help," Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles said, via Twitter. "The best thing about Charlotte really is our people and I’m glad you were there!"

Found lil mama outside.. can y’all share this.. Charlotte,NC pic.twitter.com/m4MxJ9xuem
— J. (@Jay_Kea) November 22, 2020