A 3-year-old boy, wearing only a diaper, was spotted Thursday morning standing close to traffic along a busy Brooklyn Park street, and police located his mother nearly five hours later, authorities said.
A passerby saw the boy, who said his name is Mikey, on the shoulder of W. Broadway near 84th Avenue N. about 7:40 a.m. and notified authorities, police said.
Police told reporters gathered in the family's neighborhood about 12:30 p.m. that a miscommunication in the family led to the boy's wandering ways.
"Investigators are looking into the circumstances surrounding this event," read a statement from Deputy Chief Mark Bruley. "The child will stay in protective custody while the investigation continues."
When noontime came and the mystery had yet to be solved, police released a photo of the boy to news media in hopes of finding the family.
Before the mother was located, Mikey was being cared for at a shelter, Bruley said.
The boy "is healthy and doing well," Bruley said late Thursday morning.
Paul Walsh
