PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office says a mother is being charged with child neglect after a 2-year-old boy was found wandering alone and afraid in a neighborhood on Wednesday morning.
According to PBSO, the child was found around 10:30 a.m. in the area of Elm Rd. and Redwood Rd., just a couple blocks north of Palm Beach International Airport.
“He was walking, crying and looking everywhere like he was lost,” said Yailen Ortiz, who found the little boy wandering near her home.
The toddler was wearing a dirty t-shirt, diaper, and backpack, but did not have any shoes on.
“He came to me right away and I immediately called 911,” Ortiz said.
Deputies went door-to-door to try to locate the parents or relatives of the boy, but when they didn't have any luck, authorities turned to social media, according to PBSO.
A deputy also went to a nearby school with a photo of the boy on his phone, and his older brother recognized the picture.
Not long after the agency posted about the 2-year-old, someone known to the child was found.
PBSO said late Wednesday afternoon the toddler's mother, Delkie Walter, is being charged with child neglect.
Three children in Walter's home have been removed by the Department of Children and Families and are staying with other family members, according to authorities.
DCF is investigating the case.
“I’m grateful that I found him because something could’ve happened,” Ortiz said.
