MIAMI (WSVN) - Police have identified the boy who, they said, was found wandering alone in Miami’s Allapattah neighborhood, and the boy’s mother has been charged with child neglect.
According to City of Miami Police, a homeless man spotted the child in the area of Northwest Seventh Avenue and 17th Street, at around 11 p.m. on Wednesday.
The homeless man then called for help.
“The child was in great health. He was taken to [the Florida Department of Children and Families], where he’s in their custody now until we could determine if his parents are OK, what happened,” said Miami Police Officer Michael Vega. “He has to go to a school nearby or a day care. Somebody has to know him.”
Investigators initially said the boy is around 6 years old and possibly called “Lucas” or “Legacy,” adding he has not been able to communicate anything to police about where he lives or who his parents are.
“We’re talking about a 6-year-old that has, obviously, learning problem disabilities, that he shouldn’t have been out on the street to begin with,” said Vega. “This child could’ve been hit by a car, he could’ve been picked up by somebody that’s a predator.”
Hours later, police said in a statement to 7News that they had identified the boy and his mother. The mother of the boy, identified as 30-year-old Annie Rivera, was taken into custody.
Detectives said they found Rivera after a local school contacted police upon seeing news reports of the wandering boy.
According to police, Rivera and the boy were sharing a residence with another woman. The other woman’s child reportedly asked where Rivera’s son was after noticing he was not in the home, late Wednesday night.
“The witness stated she did not know and thought maybe the victim was at the godmother’s house,” the arrest report states.
“We sat outside her house, waited for a while. We go and knock on the door. It’s the first time that she hears about it, so she’s gonna face some charges,” said Vega.
According to the arrest report, when police found the boy, “the victim stated ‘Mommy drop me off and left me.'”
Rivera underwent questioning by Miami Police before she was taken into custody.
On Thursday evening, Rivera was booked at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in West Miami-Dade.
7News cameras rolled as she arrived at the jail.
Rivera faces one charge of child neglect with no great bodily harm. She is expected to appear before a judge on Friday.
It remains unclear how the child wound up wandering alone outside of his home.
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