Ohio Toddler Who Escaped Daycare Found Wet in Freezing Weather on Tricycle in Street
A toddler who wandered off from his Ohio daycare was found shivering in the middle of a street, multiple outlets report.
Officers at the Sandusky Police Department found the 2-year-old riding a red tricycle in the street, not wearing proper winter weather gear, according to WABC. The boy was also noticeably wet out in the frigid temperatures.
Officer David West, who first found the child, said the child couldn’t say where he came from or where he was going.
“I really couldn’t believe it, especially that time of the day and the temperature, barely dressed, just walking on this little scooter in the middle of the street,” West told WABC.
In police footage obtained by WGCL, the child can be seen disoriented and alone in the middle of the street as cars stop to get help. One driver calls police and stops oncoming traffic to check on the boy.
Authorities eventually located the at-home daycare center where the boy was being watched, and noticed that the front door’s deadbolt was easily accessible for a toddler, who could then open the door.
“We tried to explain to her maybe some child-proofing, door knob covers,” said West about speaking with the woman in charge of the daycare. “If she’s watching more than one kid, maybe get an alarm or something on the door so if the door opens there is a beeping sound.”
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crimenews, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
Representatives from the Sandusky Police Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Parents of the child were notified and quickly came to pick him up, according to WJW.
The outlet reported that the daycare owner, Jillian Jaunzemis, was charged on Monday with a misdemeanor child endangerment. She pleaded not guilty on Tuesday.
She told police she thought the boy was sleeping in the downstairs area of the home, with five other children she was watching. She said she was upstairs and did not know the boy got out of the home
“I have been a mother for 12 years and this never happened before,” she said.
According to WJW, the woman has now added more locks to the doors.
