Wednesday, October 19, 2016
Staff report
YOUNGSTOWN
Housing and social-service agencies are investigating after police were called when a 3-year-old boy was found wandering in traffic on Midlothian Boulevard.
Police later found the South Side home from which the child wandered filled with debris.
Police were called about 7:20 a.m. Tuesday to Midlothian near Howard Street after the child was nearly struck by a tree service company truck. A bystander scooped up the child.
A neighbor identified the child and his mother, who was not there, reports said.
Police entered the Helena Avenue home from which the child wandered and found trash strewn throughout, tires and rims inside and the smell of marijuana in an upstairs room.
Reports said the mother arrived and told police she left the toddler as well as two other children, age 17 and 16, at the home the day before with their grandmother.
The grandmother left for work and the 16-year-old for school, reports said. Reports said the 17-year-old left while the toddler was sleeping.
According to police, officers were called to the same house earlier this month when the toddler wandered off.