Police Praise Bloomfield Hills Woman That Found Wandering Toddler

Local authorities on Tuesday credited an alert Bloomfield Hills woman for the safe return of a toddler that wandered away from his mother and ended up near a busy intersection in Waterford.

The woman, who was not identified, was near the intersection of Dixie Highway and Telegraph Road at about 8:30 a.m. when she saw the young boy in just a T-shirt and underwear walking near the roadway, Waterford police told the Oakland Press. She stopped, called police and put the child in her vehicle for warmth while waiting for officers to arrive.

Police said the 35-year-old motorist also pointed out a woman in the parking lot of a nearby motel that appeared upset, the Oakland Press reported. Officers identified the 24-year-old woman as the boy's mother, who said she left him sleeping for about 20 minutes to take her husband to work.

The boy was unharmed and returned to the woman after authorities notified Child Protective Services.

"Policing truly is a partnership,” Waterford Police Chief Daniel McCaw told the Press. “This was just a woman who was going by and saw this and she’s the reason we were able to get there in time and make sure the child was OK and wasn’t hit by a vehicle.”