Toddler Found Wandering Outside Without Coat, Hat, Or Shoes
CHICAGO (STMW) -- A toddler was in the custody of child welfare authorities on Friday, after he was found outside alone in the Avalon Park neighborhood, without a coat, hat, or shoes.
Someone found the 2-year-old boy shortly before midnight Thursday night, wandering near the corner of 82nd Street and Avalon Avenue, and called police.
The boy was not wearing a coat, shoes, or a hat, even though the temperature was in the single digits.
"I'm just glad that they picked him up, because they said he didn't have any shoes, or coat, hat, or anything. He's only 2 years old, and with the weather like this … he could have caught a cold, or pneumonia, or anything," said Avalon Park resident Thomas Ellis.
Police said they located the boy's mother around 5:30 a.m., but she hasn't been reunited with her son.
The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services has taken custody of the boy while DCFS and police investigate why he was outside by himself without proper clothing.
The boy was checked out at the hospital, and didn't suffer any health problems from being out in the cold.
