Girl found by zoo walked from home
Wandering 3-year-old supposed to be watched by her uncles
A 3-year-old girl who was found walking around by herself near the zoo Monday afternoon had wandered away from her mother’s house nearby, according to a spokesman for the Albuquerque Police Department.
Officer Simon Drobik said shortly before 3 p.m. a bus driver spotted the little girl walking in the middle of the street near Eighth and Stover SW and used the bus to block traffic to keep her safe. Then a neighbor came over, brought the girl into her house and called police.
“She fed her,” Drobik said. “She was dressed in pajamas and seemed cold, so she had a jacket for her.”
Officers searched the area for the girl’s parents or anyone who knows her but they couldn’t find anyone. No one had reported her missing.
So they posted her picture on social media asking for the public’s help.
Three hours later they got a break when teachers at the Barelas Child Development Center recognized the girl and gave officers her address, Drobik said.
“When officers went to the house it was in disarray,” he said “The mother had arrived on scene pretty much when officers arrived, and we started our investigation.”
Drobik said the mother said the girl was supposed to be with her uncles and that she might have wandered away while they slept. Officers turned the little girl and her 5-year-old sister over to the state Children Youth and Family Department, where they will be in custody for a 48-hour hold, Drobik said. He didn’t identify the mother or the girl.
He said the mother could be charged with felony endangerment of a child’s life or health and exposure to inclement weather. The case has been handed over to the District Attorney’s Office for review.
Drobik said the department is grateful for the bus driver who stopped traffic, the good Samaritan who brought the girl home and the teachers at the center who recognized her and called police.
“It really shows the community coming together in this one,” he said.