Toddler Escapes Plainfield House During Nap, Launching Multi-Jurisdiction Search For Family: PD

PLAINFIELD, IL — Multiple law enforcement jurisdictions were involved in a Tuesday afternoon search for a 2-year-old boy's family after he was found roaming alone in the 16700 block of Hazelwood Drive, Plainfield police said.

The Plainfield Police Department received an alert about the boy at 12:40 p.m. When police found the boy walking around with no parent or guardian, they called Plainfield Fire Department paramedics to the scene to evaluate him and began checking nearby residences for the child's family, Sgt. Luke Ostreko told Patch.

Initial attempts to reunite the boy with his family were unsuccessful, and paramedics brought the child to Saint Joseph Medical Center, according to Ostreko.

Plainfield police sent out a mass notification via the Will County Everbridge system in an attempt to locate the child's family. The Joliet Police Department and Will County Sheriff's Office were also notified.

Officers remained in the area attempting to locate the boy's family until around 2:40 p.m., when they received information that a family member was out in the neighborhood looking for the child, Ostreko said.

After meeting with the family, police learned a family member put the boy down for a nap when he escaped from the home without anyone's knowledge. Officers sent the family to St. Joe's, and they were reunited with the toddler, Ostreko said.

Police canceled the Everbridge notification once the family was reunited.