Toddler Found Wandering Streets Overnight

Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County-- A toddler was found roaming alone near a busy Wilkes-Barre street in the middle of the night.

Now, police are investigating-- and other parents are talking.    

The 3-year-old boy was seen by a passing driver along Coal Street a little after one o'clock Tuesday morning.

Officers arrived at the M&T bank parking lot along Coal Street just a few minutes later.

Juliette Nguyen, a mother from Wilkes-Barre, said, "It's scary. Because if you search your home and you don't find your kid in their bedroom, and it's the middle of the night, it's scary."

Officers took the boy to Luzerne County Children and Youth for safe keeping immediately after they picked him up.

Rev. Thaddeus Dymkowski, of Wilkes-Barre, noted, "We would be frantic. Immediately start searching and hitting the neighborhood, first of all."

A short time later, officers say the boy's mother arrived at police headquarters.

She said everyone was asleep at the house, and claimed the boy must have simply unlocked a door and wandered outside.

Making a potentially very dangerous situation even worse, the boy was found just off of busy Coal Street, and not far from heavily-traveled Business Route 309.

Police did not identify the boy or the mother.

They also would not say how far the family lives from the bank parking lot.

Rev. Dymkowski added, "Terrible thing-- parents are not being responsible. There's a sense of responsibility with raising children, and if you love them, you care for them-- and you have your eye on them constantly."

And while no parents we spoke with could recall a similar experience, most were hesitant to place blame for the scary situation.

Nguyen continued, "If the door is locked, that's one question. If it was unlocked, it's a different question."

Luzerne County Children and Youth officials would not release any further information Tuesday morning.

At this point, it's unclear if the boy is still in their custody-- or whether the mother might face any charges.