Middletown police find girl, 4, wandering streets at 4 a.m.

Police in Middletown have found the family of a 4-year-old who was walking in the street by herself at 4 a.m. Monday and are investigating how she got out of her home.

They announced on Facebook shortly after 7:15 a.m. that the family members of the girl have been found. They thanked members of the public for their help.

“At the end of the day, it had all the elements of a tragic incident, and we were able to avoid it,” Officer Jay Bodell said.

He said a passing motorist spotted the little girl by herself in the area of East Street and Town Colony Drive in the pre-dawn

darkness, wearing only a Minnie Mouse diaper, and called police. Officers made sure the girl was not injured, took her picture and sent her to the hospital for an evaluation before knocking on doors and posting her picture on Facebook.

“Everything was pretty quick,” Bodell said. “Within a half-hour it had 700 shares.”

A family friend called police after seeing an account of the discovery of the 4-year-old. The caller recognized the girl from her picture, he said.

Police learned that the girl was from a nearby neighborhood. She was in the hospital Tuesday morning as detectives investigated the circumstances under which she got out of the house.

“I believe they’re all still out there putting it all together,” Bodell said about 8:30 a.m.

Police said the girl appeared to be in good health and that the police department was working on a joint investigation with the state Department of Children and Families.

The child will remain on a 96-hour hold by the DCF, as the investigation remains ongoing.

The parents have been cooperating with investigators, police added.