White Lake Toddler Found Walking Alone Along M-59
The following information was supplied by the White Lake Township Police Department. Arrests and charges do not indicate convictions.
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White Lake Police were called to the area of M-59 near JCPenney June 19 after receiving several calls from drivers about a small child walking along the road. One motorist stopped and waited with the child until police arrived.
When police arrived on the scene, Lt. Don Nankervis said officers took the child to a nearby apartment complex and asked to see if anyone recognized the child, but no one did.
The child, a 3-year-old, was taken back to the station where he stayed with officers. A little while later, police received a call about a missing child. The mother was informed that her child was at the station, according to the report.
The mother, 26, picked the child up. According to the report, she said the man staying with the family put the child to sleep for a nap while the mother was asleep. The man then left the house to run errands. When he returned 45 minutes later he noticed the child was gone.
Nankervis said the child was turned over to the mother.
Child nearly drowns at Highland Recreation Area
Police were called to Highland Recreation Area following a drowning incident June 20 at 1:30 p.m.
According to the report, a group of parents were hanging out in the gazebo area near the beach while their kids and a babysitter were by the water.
The report states one of the parents noticed a 2-year-old face down in the water. The child was pulled from the water, looked purple, and was not breathing. Nankervis said one of the parents started CPR, and the child was revived.
The child was transported to Huron Valley Hospital for observation, but is expected to be OK.
Officer puts out car fire
White Lake Officer Jon Kirken stopped to help a 16-year-old driver who was pulled over alongside M-59 because their car was emitting smoke.
According to the report, when Kirken opened the hood of the 1996 Buick Regal, the inside was on fire. Kirken grabbed the extinguisher and was able to fully put out the fire.
For questions about this crime report, email brooke.meier@patch.com.
In This article
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White Lake Township Police
7525 Highland Rd, White Lake, MI -
jcpenney
300 Town Center Blvd, White Lake, MI
Gwen
8:08 am on Saturday, June 23, 2012
I think it's absolutely ridiculous that there were "several calls" about a toddler on the side of 59 but only one person stopped. Disgusting actually. Kudos to the person who stopped to make sure this child was not hit by a car, taken by a pervert, or attacked by a stray dog. Do people really have more important things to do than to help keep a baby from being killed possibly? What a sad time we live in.
Mike
8:02 am on Sunday, June 24, 2012
did it ever cross your mind that the others were busy or in a hurry? since when is it my or the rest of the worlds problem to take care of some irresponsible idiots kid? If the mom was concerned about the child getting hit by a car, taken by a pervert, or attacked by a stray dog.... perhaps she should have been awake in the middle of the day making sure none of those things happened to it. But instead she left it with a "man staying with the family" while she slept.......What a JOKE!
Luna M.
10:25 am on Saturday, June 23, 2012
@Gwen - My feelings exactly.
Chad
4:41 pm on Saturday, June 23, 2012
I agree. Thankfully one person did stop. Those who didn't should be ashamed of themselves.
Kathleen Marxson
7:57 pm on Saturday, June 23, 2012
This is just another sickening sad sign of the times weall are living in.THANK GOD for looking after the little one bcause most ALL of the adults in this story sure as heck were NOT.
Charlotte
8:50 pm on Saturday, June 23, 2012
What a horrible story about the 3-year old, but I am glad he is safe.
Jodie Moral
11:53 pm on Saturday, June 23, 2012
this makes no sense and the mother just takes the kid and goes?
Jennifer Coppola
9:59 am on Sunday, June 24, 2012
@Mike-- really?
Danielle D
11:08 am on Sunday, June 24, 2012
While I agree that the mother is ultimately responsible and am disgusted by this terrible demonstration of neglect, comments like yours, @Mike, make me even sicker. We're talking about a baby here, not someone's pet dog. Let's not fight ignorance with ignorance.
jimmy hoffa
1:01 pm on Sunday, June 24, 2012
well irresponsability was at fault here and the child was returned to the mother wow. cps dropped the ball on that one. at least now the boy will be given over to the more responcable father who wasent even informed by the police at all that his only son was found in the road
Voice of Reason
4:45 pm on Sunday, June 24, 2012
@Jimmy... How do you possibly know if the father was informed. We're you there, are you one of the officers, are you the father? Or is it more likely that you simply just want to blame the police... It would be my guess that they did inform the father, if they even know who the father is. Instead of spouting off that of which you know nothing about, why don't you just say "thankfully it turned out ok".
Laurie
4:46 pm on Sunday, June 24, 2012
I can't believe there are people out there like MIKE!! It's an innocent child were talking about. I hope you don't have children or are ever in the care of them as you surely do not value them as important human beings. Just because a child has irresponsible parents doesn't mean he/she should be ignored. It's everyone's responsibility to care for an unattended child!! People like you Mike, make me really sick and it's your selfishness that's gives this world it's horrible reputation. Too many people are into themselves these days and when an adult can't even stop for a toddler wandering alone, something is seriously wrong with them!!!
Brooke Tajer
4:58 pm on Sunday, June 24, 2012
Mike, your comment was deleted because the language violated our terms of service. You can resubmit the comment without the curse word. Thanks!
Julie Richardson
7:12 pm on Sunday, June 24, 2012
I think (and hope) that it is entirely possible that ALL the people who called stopped but just decided among themselves that the one person would remain with the child until the police arrived. It would take a few minutes to stop and go back to the spot where they saw the child. My youngest was an escape artist like this one. He, thankfully, never made it out of the yard but I will never judge another person whose child did without all the information. I'm glad the story had a good outcome and the child is safe.
CK girl
11:24 pm on Sunday, June 24, 2012
Mike probably passed by the child in his "hurry" to be "busy" and feels guilty but is too narcistisstic to admit it. Mr. Hoffa obviously knows the father on a personal level; read his comment again, then please give the family some condolences. Our society is disintegrating at a frightening pace. We should "...love thy neighbor..." and now we must fear them, if not due to threat of direct personal injury then at least complete apathy. What a shame.
uknowimright
3:12 am on Wednesday, June 27, 2012
It's good that at least one person stopped for the child. I think that many people would be apprehensive about stopping, not out of apathy or being careless, but because it's a huge liability if the kid were to disappear afterward. What if you stopped, and tried to wait for someone to help, only to have some paranoid soccermom take your license plate down and turn you in for kidnapping? Most people, nowadays, are too afraid getting involved in anything controversial out of fear of being sued or held liable. What if the mother later on claimed that you abused her child while you looked out for him/her? I agree, Mike's posting was a bit insensitive, but perhaps the people who didn't stop were just afraid of being caught up in a legal mess.
Laurie
10:12 am on Wednesday, June 27, 2012
@uknowimright....I see your point, but again, it's about what's more important? Your own selfish needs (worried about getting sued) or the needs of a helpless little toddler. I feel in any situation that involves a small child, adults should always help them no matter what. They depend on us for everything in their lives. They have no fear of right or wrong or the the consequences of what can happen to them in a given situation. When it comes down to your fear or their life, life should win every time!! If something did happen and you didn't stop for fear of being sued, your guilt would eat you alive the rest of your life and that would be worse than any lawsuit.