Whose care was he supposed to be at? >> Okay. How old is your son? >> I got a call at 6:52 this morning. Your son's in like the 1400 block of Camp Street. For the most part, non-verbal. >> Yeah. >> Thursday, June 20th, 2024, Sanduski, Ohio. Just before 7:00 a.m., what looked to be a quiet morning in a residential neighborhood would turn into a child case that pulled in the entire community. A four-year-old boy was seen walking alone along the 1400 block of Camp Street, crossing between cars and wandering through yards with no adult in sight. For neighbors, the scene was alarming. No one was following him. No one was looking for him. And the chance of tragedy was just moments away. I'm Tyler and this is your daily dose of crime. >> Hello. Morning guys. >> He came from down that way somewhere. >> Okay. >> Yes. And he was headed up to those houses. Luckily, I come out to have a cigarette and I seen him and I called upon him and he ran right out of the street. Luckily, there was no car. I said, "No, no, no." So, I'm heading that way, but he was okay. And he's got severe autism. >> Yeah. But we still didn't hear nobody out here yelling. >> Nobody yelling for him, looking for him, nothing. >> Gotcha. >> And you see what he got in his hand. So, I don't know what the situation is. We just got to take care of him. >> You're right. >> And he's very wired up right now. >> Sure. Yeah. There's a lot of sensory stuff going on right now. What's your name? You don't look familiar to me, unfortunately. >> Right. I mean, he's he's not filthy or nothing. What's >> that? No. No. >> He needs a hair trim, but he's escaped from somewhere. >> You go ask him the mailman. >> And you saw him walking this side of the road. >> Well, he was on that side of the road, but he came from down that way somewhere, >> right? >> Oh, down F Street. >> You know, he came down camp. >> Oh, okay. >> Somewhere from downtown. >> Somewhere from down camp. >> Okay. And then he headed down and he was going between my neighbors over there and that and that's when I seen him. I said, "Oh Lord, what?" Well, I seen him walking. It's like, "Oh no, not again." >> Gotcha. >> You know, but yeah, he's he's trying to get away from me. It's wonder they read from holding it a little just a little bit cuz he's uh kind of strong. >> Yeah. I'm going to see if anybody's out looking for him. >> Hey buddy, you thirsty? >> You going to take a ride? >> You need some drink? >> You? >> Yeah. I have no >> right >> here, buddy. Come on. Let's go take a ride. >> Um, if you do, you can just call back. >> Yeah, you can call back to 911. >> Thank you so much. >> Oh, not a problem. >> I have a seat belt. >> For officers, the scene wasn't only unusual. It was alarming. A child barely four years old had managed to walk several blocks without anyone noticing. His non-verbal condition added another layer of vulnerability. If something happened, he couldn't ask for help or even explain where he lived. In situations like this, every moment without a responsible adult equals a direct increase in risk, from traffic accidents to potential abduction. The officers now had two priorities. keep the boy safe in the moment and figure out why a child his age had gotten so far without supervision. >> Shut the door. Shut the door. She run out. Another bear. Yeah, another bear. >> Like I can run around in circles. >> There you go. >> Thank you so much. Absolutely. Let us know. >> I'll give you a call. Do you have the phone all day? >> Yeah, just we'll just call the hotline. Um because they'll have the hotline. >> Okay. >> Perfect. >> Uh I know crewy was going to go roll around over there. I'm going to I'm going to go >> I'm I'm going to go back there and see if anybody decides they want to come out of the house. >> Thank you so much. >> Yeah, the house is all locked up. Front and back door is both locked. So >> a weirdo, man. She's in there. That's her car. >> Which one's hers? >> Is it okay? So, she had him taken away multiple times. >> Do you know who who's taken him away? >> Uh, yeah. Child Protective Service. >> Did they? >> Yeah. >> Cuz they didn't recognize him. >> That's where he's at now. So, >> well, >> at least nobody there that I >> he really looks like her kids. She keeps getting them taken away. So, I don't I don't really know what they look like, but >> Okay. >> Um, they're always running around under, you know. >> Does she have multiple kids? >> Yeah, she has three of them. >> Three of them. >> Her ex-husband used to work for me at Superman. So, >> who's our ex-husband? >> Um, >> does he have any custody or any role? Do you know? >> I think he does. Um, >> okay. >> You can log back in. >> I can probably contact him if you want. >> Um, let me I'm going to call children services with her name and see. Nobody's claiming boy. >> No. >> Oh my god. My >> I know. That's what it's uh it is super concerning. >> So, >> but I kept looking at him looking at him. You know, those kids weren't used to running around. I haven't seen the kids around in a minute out there. But anyways, >> yeah, I'm going to give children services a call with her name and see if we have anything. >> What's that? >> Yep. Hey, it's officer. >> What's going on? >> That lady said you found that little boy that you were looking for. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> 212 great aunt. Anyway, there's at my son's house. Okay. His >> brother's name is Where's mom at? >> She was in the house. He He got out the other day, too. He unlocks the door. >> So, they >> I didn't know it. >> So, and then what's the dad's name? >> Yeah, he's in They're from Michigan. He's He's in Michigan at work. >> Oh, he's not there right now. >> No. Uhuh. >> It's his house, though. >> No, it's my son's house. >> Okay. So, they've been staying at house, but >> Yeah. >> But at work in Michigan, >> right? Okay. >> I'm so glad you found him. I found a heart attack. >> Yeah. Well, let me um I'll swing over to Barker Street here in just a second. Do you want to meet me over there then or you? >> I can do that. It's up to you. >> Well, no. My son's at the doctor, but he'll probably be a while. So, I'll come back over there. >> Okay. I'll be over there in just a moment. Okay. >> Okay. Thank you. Okay. >> The first solid clue came from a neighbor who said the boy had slipped out before and knew how to open doors on his own. That changed the scope of the case. This was not a one-off accident, but a repeated behavior showing the home was not secured. For officers, it didn't only confirm negligence. It signaled an ongoing risk if nothing changed. A nonverbal child capable of leaving on his own with no supervision became a critical red flag, even before they located the mother. Police already knew child services would likely need to step in with a protection plan. >> Hello. >> Are you? >> Yeah. >> Okay. I have your four-year-old. Yeah, I just heard that. Yeah, >> I don't >> Whose care was he supposed to be at? >> My son is watching. >> Gotcha. >> How old is your son? >> 17 >> 16. I'm doing the math right now. I'm >> sorry. >> No, that's fine. Do you work nights or something? >> No. Okay. >> No, I just have a terrible sleeping schedule. Gotcha. So, I got a call at 6:52 this morning that your son's in like the 1400 block of Camp Street, which is about >> four blocks that way and about another three blocks that way. >> Wait, wait, wait. 6 what? >> 652 this morning. >> And it is now I think we're well after >> 9:06. >> And fortunately, your aunt here happened to see me down the street still looking for parent looking for child. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Are you guys living here? You guys living in Michigan? >> Um, we live in Michigan. We're staying here. >> Okay. How long have you guys been here? >> Um, we got here in June. >> Okay. >> Like first week. >> Gotcha. You plan on staying here much longer? >> So, July. >> Gotcha. Okay. Obviously. So, he's currently with Children's Services. cuz I dropped him off there probably hour and a half ago, hour ago. Um, so I'm going to give them a call real quick and let them know that we have you here. >> Uh, we were having him evaluated. He um >> I mean it's for the most part non-verbal. >> Yeah, he is. >> He makes a lot of noises and and things. So I work as a school resource officer my four years that I've been in the school. So, you know, just my observation obviously verbally seems a little behind. Um, so that's also another concern. Children's Services is on their way here to meet with you. Um, fortunately, because you're staying here in the city for another month or so, um, I don't have to take you to county jail. Okay. So, I can give you a summon, but that means you need to show up to court tomorrow by 9:00 a.m. >> Okay. >> Which one? >> Yep. Suski MUN. It's out on West Monroe Street right now at the city complex because the court's under construction. >> Oh, okay. >> So, there's a number on here that I'll have you call um if you have any questions or anything. They won't have this until later today or first thing tomorrow morning, but you need to make sure you go tomorrow morning, okay? Or else it turns into a warrant for failure to appear and we don't need all that. So, I need a signature from you. All this is is child in you are asleep, supposed to be taking care of the kiddo. >> Michelle, >> I'm Amanda from Children's Services. This is Sarah and Jordan. They work with me. >> Um, are you okay if we talk these people are? >> Yes. >> Okay. So, can you tell me what's going on? I'm gonna stand over this way out of the sun. >> So I can actually see your face. >> Would you like to sit? >> No, I'm good, ma'am. I just The sun was like right in my eyes and I couldn't see your face. So, >> um, well, my son apparently left the house and my other son didn't know he was missing. I was sleeping. Really know much else I can say about him. >> Um, do you know what time he left the house or roughly what time he was found? Um, but I was told that he was found about 6, I think. >> Around 6:15 this morning. I would assume he left not too much longer before that. >> Okay. I'm thinking he left when Kevin left for work and Kevin forgot to lock the door. >> Cuz Kevin, if Kevin had to work from 7 till 4, he would have left about 6:30. is usually better about that. But >> was sleeping? >> No, he was I don't know honestly what he was doing. He was supposed to be >> watching him. >> You got found around 9ish, right? Maybe a little after. >> 9:06 I think is it when I showed up over here right after 9:00. >> Two about 2 hours that didn't lay eyes at all on this child. So I'm trying to figure out what's going on. and I can have him come out to talk to him. >> Yeah, that would be great. Thank you. >> Hi. >> I'm Amanda from Children's Services. How are you? >> Tired. >> Tired. Okay. Tell me about this morning. >> Uh, so for the most part, I was kind of just playing Minecraft. Wasn't really paying attention. I thought it was asleep. So, like at around like 7:30, maybe 8, I noticed that that the door to the front, I guess the side entrance was open. So, I kind of put on my shoes and walked around to try to find them. >> Okay. So, around 8:00, you started walking around to try to find them. No. >> Did you wake up mom at that point? >> No. >> Okay. Did you wake anyone up to let them know or did you just put on your shoes and roll out the door? >> Okay. And you didn't try to like contact the police department or anything like that? >> Just in case if he was just like walking around just like here. >> Okay. And when you thought he was sleeping, where were you at that in the house versus where he was? >> Uh around 10 couch. >> So he was on the couch and you were about 10 ft away playing video game. >> Okay. And I'm sorry, your name. >> And is this your also my daughter? I was younger than you. >> I was also watching. >> Okay. >> But I had passed out from the doctor. >> You were tired? >> Yeah. >> Okay. Ariana, how did you call your name? Did you watch me? >> Yes. >> And what's your name? So, both of you guys were watching him. You fell asleep. You thought you was asleep. Um, and when you noticed around 8:00 that he wasn't here, you got up and started. Okay. >> He he was asleep at 5:30, which is when I passed out. >> Okay. So, around 5:30 asleep. >> Okay. What time does he normally go to bed at? >> He kind of thoughts on his schedule and as much when he wants to. >> Okay. >> It's kind of hard to keep awake when he's tired. >> Okay. Do you know about what time he went to bed last night? >> Um, yes. Georgia got him to sleep at 3:00 in the morning. >> So, he hadn't been sleeping very long. He usually would have slept in till like right around 10 or 11. >> Okay. So, he's generally I go to sleep late sleep a little later. >> Okay. >> And if like the other kids are up, so I usually have them keep an eye on them. >> Did you get any sleep last night? >> Uh, okay. So, I had previously stayed up se no 22 hours. I've went to bed at around 1:00 in the morning and then woke well 100 p.m. and then woke up at 7:00 p.m. >> You've been up since 7:00 p.m. yesterday. >> Yes. >> Okay. What about you? >> You said you passed out around 5:30. >> Okay. I wake up I woke up around 100 p.m. and was upset. So, you were up from 1:00 p.m. yesterday until about 5:30 this morning. >> Yep. >> Okay. And then what time did you go to bed? >> Um, I went to bed at midnight. >> Okay. And then what woke you up? >> Um, apparently him telling me that the cops are at the door. >> Gotcha. Okay. >> When officers finally tracked down the mother at home on Barker Street, her explanation would reveal a fragile household dynamic. She admitted she had been asleep while her teenage children were supposed to be keeping an eye on the boy. Her excuse that the child kept late hours and usually slept through the morning didn't reduce the seriousness of the situation. For investigators, it would confirmed the boy's care was being left to minors who were incapable of handling such emergencies. Things got even more worse when social workers arrived. The older siblings admitted they had spent the night gaming and dozing off, and none of them had warned their mother before the child slipped out. Disorganized routines, no home safety measures, and an over reliance on teenagers as caregivers would paint a picture of a household in constant risk. For the authorities, this was not a one-time lapse. It was a structural failure. >> Hi. Do you want me to put them on speaker phone? >> Are you good with that? >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> Are you available? >> Uh, sure. What's up? >> All right. This morning, P got out of the house and >> we're supposed to be watching him. >> Sun's just hitting right here. >> And uh child services or well the police were called and >> now child services has him. >> Okay. >> Hi, sir. >> Hi. >> Hi. My name's Amanda from Erie County Children's Services. How are you? >> Great. How are you? >> Well, good. >> Um some point this morning, he was found about 650 um a couple blocks away from where your wife and kids are staying. Um and he was taken to Sunduski Police Department initially. Um and then he was brought to um our children services agency right around 8:00, maybe a little bit after. Um, so he's currently at our agency being watched by some workers while we're out here talking with um your wife and your kiddos. Um, but we wanted to let you know what was going on as well cuz you're not here. Um, and inform you that uh we do have to call Michigan Children's Services and let them kind of make a decision as to what they would like to do, if anything, um, before we can release your son back to your wife. Okay. None of that makes any sense. >> Okay. What doesn't make sense? I will try to explain it. >> Obviously, kids get out. It happens. I mean, how I was a kid, I got out of my parents house one time or another, but you know, they do that. Okay. I don't understand why you can help my wife. She's there talking >> two and a half hours. >> It's more of a concern the fact that he was out for 2 and 1/2 hours before we were able to locate anyone that knew who he was. and he was he was on a pretty major street. >> I don't understand why we need to involve a bunch of other people. >> I don't understand. >> It's our it's our obligation, sir. >> Yeah. It's our obligation. I mean, like I said, our biggest concern is, you know, he was out for an undisclosed amount of time. We're not even 100% sure how long he was out before police located him. It was 2 and a half hours from the time he was located until the time anyone was found. And so that's a pretty significant amount of time. >> I understand you and then I get you still there talking to my wife. So you know who is there should be no reason why you cannot get my son back to my wife. I don't understand that. >> I don't I don't have the full decision. >> Okay. family he knows is more of a concern than what you're doing for me. Okay? And I'm not trying to be rude or anything like that. You're fine to conduct your investigation and everything. I understand that I am severely worried about my son even more now that he's with a bunch of strangers. >> I that would be worrisome to me as well. >> I don't love that we're in the position that he is with a bunch of strangers. any better and I understand that, but like that doesn't make any sense to me. Like how long is this process going to take? >> Well, it depends. My supervisor is trying to contact uh Michigan Children's Services right now while I'm out here gathering information. >> Not even in the state of Michigan. So, why does need to be involved at this particular >> Can I talk to >> because they have jurisdiction. I'm going to let you talk to the officer, sir. >> Now, hold on a second. You still have your job to do, but you can get him back to my wife so you guys can continue doing our job and he's with people that love him. >> All right. This is >> they still have to call and I understand that they got a job to do just like you do. Y >> okay they can do that without having him there at their establishment. >> Actually sir we can't. >> No. So when we can't locate a parent >> to see the rules sent to me then. Can you email me those rules please? >> We and we can work on that here in a little bit. It's a little tough being out here >> right now because I'm starting to get pretty pissed off that somebody else has my son and I'm really pissed off at my family right now as well, you know. But >> and that's and call to keep a kid from his parents. >> Right. Well, and that's and like you said, you know, the whole situation in general. So ultimately, it's because you guys live in Michigan, it's going to be up to Michigan Children's Services on what decision gets made from here. >> And officer, again, I understand that. Okay. But stopping that process to getting him back to his parent who's responsible for him at this particular moment >> has nothing to do with them calling Michigan because obviously they're not. >> But that responsibility, >> right? But that responsibility falls on us as the Police Department and Children's Services when he's not taken care of. >> Well, actually, it doesn't have nothing to do with you anymore cuz you dropped them off at >> Well, at the end of the day, sir, I I understand that you're frustrated with both of your children, and I I totally can get that, but at the end of the day, >> the reason your wife is the adult that's in charge, so I hate to say it, but it ends up falling on her shoulders whether or not she asked them to be watching the kids. And I know that that isn't fair, >> but that's how it works. When the boy's father spoke with social services, things grow even more complicated. He argued the case should be handled only in Ohio, but officials told him the protocol was clear. In child cases, jurisdiction follows the family's legal residence. That detail would matter because the mother admitted they had only been in Sanduski for a month while the father still lived and worked in Michigan. The back and forth between states left a gap. Ohio had no full record of the family, while Michigan had stopped active oversight since they had moved. For officials, that no man's land and state supervision created an added risk, making it harder to set up stable safety measures, >> and we don't want something like this to happen again. So, >> so I talked to my supervisor. She is having a difficult time getting a hold of Michigan. Um, so what we decided is I don't disagree with your husband. Your son needs to be with people he knows. I don't disagree with that at all, but we still have our due diligence to do. So, at this point, I'm going to give you the address to our agency. I'm going to have you come to the agency. Um, if we can just let you bring him back home right now or if we have to wait till we get word from Michigan. Okay. But I do agree that he needs to be with someone that he knows. Okay. Do you have a way to get to our agency? >> Yes. >> Okay. So, I'm going to give you that that has our address on it that also has my name on it. When you get there, you're going to come in the front doors. You're going to go to the big window to the left. Ask for Amanda. I'm the only one in the agency. I will come out and I'll get you and we'll bring you back so you can be with your son. Okay. >> I mean I and I I want you to hear what I told your husband. If if you guys lived here in Erie County, we probably would have already had custody of your child. >> And I know you're looking out for his best interest. >> Kind of this the hand that we're dealt right now with just the circumstances and situations. So >> this wasn't just an isolated slip up. Witnesses said the boy had gotten out before proving the home lacked basic safeguards. His non-verbal condition confirmed by the mother who mentioned he was being evaluated for possible autism spectrum diagnosis had made it even more critical. A child with those challenges needs a highly structured and closely supervised environment, not one where tired teenagers handle his care on their own. For that reason, officials stressed to the father that the case would not be solved quickly or inhouse. It required formal protocol, coordination between Ohio and Michigan, and a protection plan to correct the structural failings. Meanwhile, the mother was officially charged with child in a first-degree misdemeanor in Ohio that carries up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine. The boy was medically evaluated and according to Sanduski Police Chief Jared Oliver, showed no physical injuries, though he remained under Erie County Child Services custody. Investigators concluded that his risk was the direct result of lack of adult supervision, chaotic household routines, and the reliance on underage siblings as caretakers. A mother would be charged with child in and while the charge can bring up to 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine, first-time offenders are often considered for alternatives like probation, community service, and parenting classes. While the case highlighted a critical reality when a young non-verbal child is left unsupervised, it isn't treated as a minor lapse. It's negligence with potentially irreversible consequences.