This is unfortunately the second story this week that pertains to children found unsupervised, which has resulted in parents being arrested and charged. As the news media has pointed out, this is now the second instance of young children being found alone in Detroit in less than one week.

 

In this case, two young brothers, aged 7 and 8, were found wandering in the street about a block away from their home on Brace Street. They were found and taken in by someone in the neighborhood named Manson McCan. McCan says that the children told him that they hadn’t seen their father in several days, and had no idea where he was.

 

The weather outside was cold when the two boys were discovered, and they were not properly dressed for the conditions. One of the boys was said to be wearing shorts. According to a statement McCan gave the media, “They told me they were there for a couple days. Like two or three days. You could tell that it had been a couple of days. They were even attempting to actually cut their own hair. They were taking care of themselves.”

 

McCan called the police and notified them of the situation. Officers were dispatched to the home, where they spoke to the children in an effort to identify them and locate the home where they lived. Officers were able to identify the children’s apartment, but said that once they arrived and entered, they discovered it was “filthy.”

 

According to Maria Miller, a spokeswoman for the Wayne County prosecutor’s office, the case remains under review because “additional investigation has been requested.” A warrant was issued for the father of the two boys. Officers were eventually able to locate him and he has since been arrested.

 

The two little boys have been placed with an aunt by CPS workers, however it will be awhile before anyone knows where they will be placed permanently. Michigan law requires the courts and CPS to give serious consideration to relative placement. Placing a child with a relative is almost always preferred to traditional foster care.

 

If you or a loved one have been accused of child abuse or neglect by CPS, contact us immediately at 866 766-5245. The skilled defense attorneys at The Kronzek Firm have decades of experience handling abuse and neglect cases, and we can help you too. Don’t wait! We are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to help you through this time of crisis!