A California mother is in custody after her diaper-clad daughter was discovered wandering a busy street, carrying an iPad, wearing a backpack, and accompanied by a small dog, sheriff’s deputies say.
A good Samaritan spotted the girl around 10 p.m. on Wednesday night as she passed through a busy intersection near the Six Flags Magic Mountain amusement park in the Santa Clarita Valley, about 35 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles.
According to KTLA, Julius Rivera was the man who discovered the girl, who is believed to be around 6 years old.
“I was trying to stop her, but then she was just running away from me, so I called the cops, and they found her over here,” Rivera said, pointing to the parking lot of the Five Below store where police picked up the girl, according to the station.
“She was just wearing a diaper and a shirt, and a backpack, and she had her little dog and an iPad,” Rivera told reporters.
According to local Fox affiliate KTTV, the mother’s name is Michelle Negrellos, 28. According to records from the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, she remains in custody.
According to KTLA, sheriff’s deputies identified the girl’s name and address using her iPad. Deputies later allegedly discovered the girl’s mother asleep inside the home, claiming she “displayed symptoms of intoxication, including slurred speech, impaired coordination, and a strong odor of alcohol.”
According to the KTLA story, the mother appeared unaware that her daughter, who deputies described as having developmental challenges, was not at home.
The girl was allegedly released to her father, who has not been publicly identified.
Negrellos was arrested and charged with felony child endangerment, according to KTTV. When Law&Crime reached out to the sheriff’s department, they declined to comment further.
“This is still an active investigation,” a spokesperson stated via email. “There are no updates at this time.”
