Child seen wandering in Holly, Michigan, was identified and found safe, police say

Police in Holly, Michigan, say an 18-month-old boy who was seen wandering on a Ring camera on Friday has been identified and located.

Police say that at about 11:54 a.m., a homeowner in the 500 block of Elm Street contacted law enforcement after receiving images of the child from his Ring camera system. Holly police and the Oakland County Sheriff's Office responded to the area and canvassed neighboring homes, but the child's whereabouts were unknown at the time.

Sometime later, police received a tip that the child lived in a home near where he was caught on the camera. Police noted they had visited the home in question three times during their canvassing earlier, and the occupants initially denied that the child was theirs.

Holly police say that when confronted, the parents admitted the boy lived there and that they didn't want to get into trouble because he had wandered off without them knowing and returned home on his own. Police confirmed the boy was safe and verified his identity by matching the clothing he was seen wearing on camera.

Holly police say they are now investigating the family.

"We thank the community and the media for sharing this story, which resulted in its closure. We also thank our law enforcement partners at the Oakland County Sheriff's Office for the immediate response of a K9, drone and ultimately the helicopter to search ponds and wooded areas," police said. "Thank you to the Holly officers who organized the searches, located and reviewed area camera recordings and responded to every tip."