3-Year-Old Boy Left at South LA Bus Stop
Police are piecing together a mystery involving a boy left Saturday at a South LA bus stop.
A woman left the 3-year-old boy on a bus bench at Broadway and Florence Avenue at about 12:40 a.m. and left on a bus, despite a stranger's attempt to stop her, according to police. Investigators did not identify the woman.
"He saw her boarding the bus, leaving the child on the bus bench, and yelled at her to, 'Hey, you forgot the kid,'" said Detective Javier Lozano. "She turned around, made eye contact, and basically made one these waves at him. (She) boarded the bus and left."
The man said he waited with the boy for about an hour. When the woman did not return, he contacted police.
Investigators were able to identify the boy after his grandmother contacted authorities. She said she recognized the boy after seeing him on TV news broadcasts.
The grandmother told police her daughter and grandson left Bakersfield Oct. 5.
The child was placed in the county's custody, according to authorities.
As of Sunday morning, police continued the search for the woman who left the boy at the bus stop. Los Angeles police Capt. Robert Green said the woman could be charged with child endangerment if she willfully abandoned the boy.
Police said the woman was wearing a checkered black-and-red poncho.
Anyone with more information as to the location of the woman was asked to call police at 213-485-6991 during normal office hours or at 1-877-527-3247 during off-hours.
