Social Media Post Helps Reunite Wandering Lodi Toddler With Family
LODI (CBS13) — A social-media post is credited with reuniting a wandering little girl with her family, but questions still remain about why she was alone.
Elaine Gonzalez came out shortly after 7 a.m. just after her adult daughter and another neighbor spotted the little girl in the busy road.
"She was crying; the lady next door grabbed her little hand and brought her over here, and she calmed down," she said.
They expected a frantic family to come running up at any minute, but no one did. They called police, but didn't have any luck.
Police posted a photo of the girl on their Facebook page where someone recognized her more than two hours later.
Investigators say the parents left the girl with her 12-year-old brother, who even after noticing the child was missing did not seek help.
"We'll do our own investigation, whether it be a neglect, or an abuse, or an endangerment type investigation," said Lodi Police Lt. Sierra Brucia.
They felt comfortable enough to let the girl go home to her family, but child protective services followed up on Wednesday morning.
"It could have been worse if she had been hit by a car, or you know, you don't even know these people, she could have got picked up by anybody," she said.
Police say this may be a good reminder for other parents to re-evaluate how responsible their kids are when it comes to caring for other children.
California has no law requiring babysitters be a certain age or older. It's a case-by-case issue depending on the maturity of the caregiver.