WATERVILLE, Maine — A 2-year-old girl was returned to her home safely after police found her wandering on Water Street early Friday morning.
Officer Dennis Picard was on patrol in the area around 8:30 a.m. when he saw the girl, who was only dressed from the waist up, according to Police Chief Joseph Massey, and stopped to investigate.
“She was able to tell him where she lived and showed him where she lived,” Massey said.
Fortunately, the girl was a short distance from the Water Street apartment complex where she lives, Massey said.
When Picard arrived with the girl, he knocked on the door, which wasn’t fully shut, and got no response, Massey said. When the toddler went inside, the officer followed her inside.
“She seemed like she knew she was home,” Massey said. “Officers were concerned something may have happened to the parents.”
A man who is the boyfriend of the girl’s mother was found asleep in a bedroom, Massey said. The 33-year-old man told police that the mother had asked him to watch the child while she was in Belgrade, and that he had woken up early to feed her and fell back asleep in the bed.
“The big thing for us was that the child was safe,” Massey said.
No charges will be filed against the man in the incident, Massey said, as it is not against the law to leave a child with an adult. Sgt. Dan Goss assisted Picard at the scene.
This mother is crazy to leave her child with this guy, he is not a responsible person or she wouldn’t have been out wandering in the street.
Unfortunately, many parents try to work opposite shifts these days. They avoid the extra childcare costs to meet their bills, go without sleep as much as they can, and eventually this kind of thing can happen. I work with a young mother who is trying to go this route. It is dangerous and sad and scary.
Doesn’t say she was WORKING.
Doesn’t say she wasn’t WORKING either! Accidents happen, if this was a reoccuring thing then yeah something is wrong, but come on.
If she was working, they would have said that she was working, not “she was in Belgrade” which is very evasive.
I guarantee there’s more to this story. I would never leave my 2 year old alone overnight with my “boyfriend”. She’s rolling the dice with her child’s life, or at least, well-being, in my opinion.
If you cant trust your “boyfriend” while you go to work, take care of a sick friend or that ever she was doing, then find a boyfriend who you can trust. Jesshhh it is not like she left him there alone. She found a responsible adult to watch the baby. This was a accident that turn into an incident…with a happy ending…
An accident that turned into an incident that very well could have wound up with the baby being kidnapped. This accident turned into an incident could have been prevented had his lazy butt gotten up and STAYED UP and actually watched the child!!!! I hope DHHS gets to these people!! Absolutely no need for any excuses when it comes to the safety of a child!!!!
Exactly…find someone you can trust. He is obviously someone that cannot be trusted. The baby might as well have been alone. After all, the toddler left the house on her own, and wandered down the street alone.
You said, “She found a responsible adult to watch the baby…” Wow! You call that being responsible? What a joke.
There are alarms that can be easily affixed to exterior doors to prevent this kind of thing from happening. I do wish some agency would make it their mission to distribute them! I see fire departments, police agencies, sherriffs depts, hospitals etc organizing fundraising efforts to supply car seats, cupboard door locks etc. Why not this? I don’t think most young parents realize these devices are even available.
They are 2 for $10 at home depot
wonder if that happened to ayla who may not have found her way back
I’m guessing that is not the case.
that is a strange case. there have been a couple of these wondering toddlers in waterville lately that is strange too
There must be something in the water in good ol’ H2oVille…I feel like this is the third or fourth article I’ve read about children wandering in the streets. Not good :/
Waterville appears to be the canary in the mine. Hopefully the officials at DHHS are paying attention.
Children are quick and can sneak out sometimes even when the adults are awake and alert. However, it is important to at least be awake when they are, or bad things can happen. The mother was lucky this time. She may not be so lucky if there is a next time. Adults need to make sure that it is not so easy for little ones to slip out the door, and there are certainly enough devices available on the market for that very purpose.
” it is not against the law to leave a child with an adult.” Um duh. Isn’t it against the law to sleep and not watch a child? Oh, forgot, we are in Maine.
If it was against the law to sleep and not watch a child, then EVERY parent could be arrested. You don’t expect them to stay up all night and watch a child sleep do you? Before you jump back at me with ‘the child wasn’t sleeping’, as I know you will, your comment said NOTHING about during daytime hours.
Wow jemileesmom, why ask a question for clarification when instead you “jump” on someone? Again, I keep in mind we are in Maine, on the BDN especially where being prickly is preferred vs understanding what someone is saying. So let me clarify for you, DURING DAYTIME HOURS WHEN A CHILD IS NORMALLY AWAKE. Does that help you?
I agree, i——sometimes. Better to be wary and investigate – I would have hauled the 33 yr olds azz in. 8:30 am is primetime for 2 yr olds. was he hungover, on drugs……I’d rather side on caution, then let him off for something even worse to happen later. The police are idiots up here.
I agree. And for those who would differ, I had more than 4 children and NONE ever were wandering in the street alone or half dressed. When they were up, I was up. Why? Because it made sense to make sure they were safe and well cared for. Because to lose one would have killed me. It wasn’t hard in the least, it seemed like common sense.
Um…can you say risk of injury to a minor??? Of course it is not against the law to leave a child with an adult…a responsible one. While the child is in your care you are responsible for the safety and well being of that child (parent and/or caretaker). Does the town of Waterville have Barney Fife for their police chief? I think the law needs to be reviewed where it comes to the safety and welfare of these children.
No charges? Her life could have been in danger. No one cares about children anymore…
DHS should be alerted. The child should be FORCIBLY removed from the home. As much crying and drama as possible so I can film it.
The mother should be sentenced to 20 years at Shawshank for child endangerment. The sidewalk should be fired from its job. The man should be labeled as a sex offender and sent to Shawshank where he can meet “The Sisters”
I hate bring up her name, but i wonder if little Ayla and information has been found out yet. I still think the dad has something to do with, but he wont talk, which is not new. We miss you little Ayla
since you brought it up, when people wondered if Ayla might have wandered out, was pooh poohed. It happens.
There still needs to be an explanation of all the blood they found in that home.
I am happy to hear this ended well for the child and her mother. Kids can and do get out, it happens. My son was a serial escape artist. He would wait until I was in the shower and then try to engineer an escape. After the 2nd time, I purchased a door alarm, so as soon as he tried to open the door, a ear piercing siren would go off.
He did get up on a chair and try to disarm it, but at only three years old, he didn’t have the co-ordination to succeed.
I have mentioned in other articles like this, these are also useful for elderly night wanderers.
I bet he’s not the boyfriend anymore… HAHAHAHA!!!!
Now read the story about the woman from Pleasant Point and how the state took her away from her mother. THERE ARE TOO MANY PEOPLE HAVING CHILDREN WHO SHOULD NOT HAVE THEM. If you can’t give a children a safe loving home, DO NOT HAVE THEM!
When I read the headline for this article I so thought it was concerning Ayla, I was totally devastated!
Okay lets look at the positive point of view. She is safe. she knew where she lived and was returned home safely. I put nothing by some of these little children. As one of you put it. they are escape artists…… Have a great day everyone.
would it be a problem to lock the door, one would think she has a key.
“as it is not against the law to leave a child with an adult”…..that’s rich. Oh, so many questions……
There is no excuse for this…nor does there have to be. For those of you screaming for blood out of this incident: if you’re a parent, and your child[ren] is more than 2 years old, and you claim you’ve never laid down on the couch or sat down in a chair while your child was playing, and fallen asleep, or just dozed off, I suggest you’re lying to yourself. As well, if you claim that while you’re wide awake your child cannot get itself into some kind of pickle, you’re lying to yourself. Art Linkletter said “Kids say the damnedest things’. Kids also do the damnedest things. It’s unfortunate that this child was able to get outside and wandered into the street; it’s VERY fortunate that the officers did they’re job with compassion and reason rather than approach the event as though it were a criminal act (something I’ve seen much too often in today’s world). The child could just as easily have climbed out of her crib, fallen, and broken her neck. Glad she just wandered outside. Get a grip, people, the only way to keep a child totally safe, as so many people seem to demand, is to wrap it in bubble wrap and never allow it do explore life.
better to air on the side of caution and do more investigating of the living situation and the caretakers of this little girl. “as it is not against the law to leave a child with an adult”, it is against the law or harmful to the child to leave them with a drug addict, a drunk, a sex abuser……the guy is 33 – old enough to be responsible. Kids do things, of course, but why not be sure she is actually safe. giving adults the benefit of a doubt in this day and age, is dangerous indeed.