| | | | On an oppressively hot afternoon this August, a Florida teenager was startled to see what someone had ditched at the foot of his neighbor's driveway: a child's car seat with a 21-month-old boy still strapped inside.
It was lucky that Jamichal Young, 16, found the missing child when he did with temps already well into the 90s and the sun blazing. Jamichal videotaped the child on the driveway with his phone and quickly called 911, while his family gave the toddler some juice and a fresh diaper and posted the video on social media to help find his parents. Broward County sheriff's deputies and the child's grateful, crying foster mom arrived quickly.
What happened on Aug. 13 in a neighborhood near Ft. Lauderdale is just one recent example of a frightening trend across the country: Car thieves are stealing cars in record numbers, and a growing number are startled to realize at some point that they haven’t just stolen a car but also a child.
So far this year, 119 small children have been abducted, according to Kids and Car Safety, when they’re left alone in the backseats of vehicles. Often times these incidents happen when parents hop out for just a minute to pump gas, pick up take-out food or dash back into their homes for something. View these tips and read the full story online to help keep your kids safe. If you have any information regarding a missing or exploited child, please call our 24-hour hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678). |
| | |
|
