Child protective services have been called in, after a three-year-old boy was found wandering the streets in the freezing cold, wearing only his pyjamas.
CCTV installed at a petrol station in Detroit captured footage of the tot walking through the forecourt, before entering the shop at around 4:45am, on Thursday morning.
A shop employee covering the night shift greeted the little boy, who is said to have asked for sweets. The employee obliged, before contacting the police.
When police arrived on the scene, they put the child in their squad car and circled the neighbourhood, in the hopes he would recognise his house.
Eventually, the child’s mother received word that police cars had been in the local petrol station, and she headed down to be reunited with her son.
A police officer told the local CBS news outlet: “She was hysterical and crying and scared, but then happy that she saw him in the scout car with us.”
Detroit Police heroes for reuniting mom with 3-yr-old boy who wandered into Citco Gas Station. @WWJ950 @FOX2News pic.twitter.com/HiK5P1KuqA
— Charlie Langton (@charlielangton) January 5, 2017
Apparently, the mother had left her apartment to speak to a friend, who was in their car outside the building; while her back was turned, her son managed to leave their home.
Child protective services are said to be investigating the incident.
