NORTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - The parents of a toddler found wandering the streets of a Northwest Miami-Dade neighborhood will not face any charges.
The young girl was found by herself near the Parkview gated community along Northwest 59th Avenue Tuesday evening. After about five hours spent in the custody of police and members of the community, the young girl was reunited with her parents.
Police said ultimately, it was a miscommunication which led to the girl being by herself.
“We believe that it was confusion between the mom and dad, both of whom were working, and the babysitter,” said Miami-Dade Police detective Lee Cowart.
According to investigators, the mother left for work and left her daughter in the care of a 15-year-old family member. However, there was a misunderstanding, and the teen thought the toddler was with her mother.
Neighbors said the parents later found out what happened when they saw their daughter’s picture on the news hours later and rushed home immediately.
“When we reunited the dad with the toddler, she opened her arms and said, ‘Papi,'” Cowart said.
A spokeswoman from the Department of Children and Families released a statement in regards to the family, which read in part:
“We appreciate everyone’s assistance in locating this family so that the child could be safely recovered. The Department opened a Child Protective Investigation upon learning of this incident. The family is not known to the Florida Child Welfare System.”
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.