MIAMI (WSVN) – Police have identified the boy who, they said, was found wandering alone in Miami\u2019s Allapattah neighborhood and the boy\u2019s mother has been charged with child neglect.<\/p>\n
According to City of Miami Police, a homeless man spotted the child in the area of Northwest Seventh Avenue and 17th Street, at around 11 p.m. on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The homeless man then called for help.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe child was in great health. He was taken to [the Florida Department of Children and Families], where he\u2019s in their custody now until we could determine if his parents are OK, what happened,\u201d said Miami Police Officer Michael Vega. \u201cHe has to go to a school nearby or a day care. Somebody has to know him.\u201d <\/p>\n
Hours later, police said in a statement to 7News that they had identified the boy and his mother. The mother of the boy, identified as 30-year-old Annie Rivera, arrived at the police station to be interviewed by detectives.<\/p>\n
Detectives said they found Rivera after a local school contacted police after seeing news reports of the wandering boy.<\/p>\n
According to police, Rivera and the boy were sharing a residence with another woman. The other woman\u2019s child reportedly asked where Rivera\u2019s son was after noticing he was not in the home, late Wednesday night.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe witness stated she did not know and thought maybe the victim was at the godmothers house,\u201d the arrest report states.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe sat outside her house, waited for awhile. We go and knock on the door, it\u2019s the first time that she hears about it, so she\u2019s gonna face some charges,\u201d said Vega.<\/p>\n
According to the arrest report, when police found the boy, \u201cthe victim stated \u2018Mommy drop me off and left me.’\u201d<\/p>\n
Investigators said the boy is around 6 years old and possibly called \u201cLucas\u201d or \u201cLegacy,\u201d adding he has not been able to communicate anything to police about where he lives or who his parents are.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re talking about a 6-year-old that has, obviously, learning problem disabilities, that he shouldn\u2019t have been out on the street to begin with,\u201d said Vega. \u201cThis child could\u2019ve been hit by a car, he could\u2019ve been picked up by somebody that\u2019s a predator.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rivera underwent questioning by Miami Police before she was taken into custody.<\/p>\n
On Thursday evening, Rivera was booked at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.<\/p>\n
7News cameras were rolling when Rivera arrived at the jail.<\/p>\n
She faces one charge of child neglect with no great bodily harm. Rivera is expected to appear before a judge on Friday.<\/p>\n
It remains unclear how the child wound up wandering alone outside of his home.<\/p>\n
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