Sarasota Toddler Found Crawling Near U.S. 41, Police Say

A toddler wandered out of his home early Thursday, crawled two blocks to U.S. 41 and was about to cross the busy road when a driver stopped to help him, police say.

The discovery of the child on Sarasota's busiest thoroughfare triggered a criminal investigation. Detectives went door-to-door to find the boy's parents - and eventually discovered them at home asleep.

Now the child, who is about 2 years old, and a younger sibling are in state custody.

Detectives say they are considering child neglect charges against the boy's parents, Vernon Warren and Jessica Harbour.

The boy crawled from his home on Wisteria Street sometime before dawn. He made it two blocks to the intersection of U.S. 41 and Wisteria Street and was in the road when a driver stopped to put him back on the sidewalk.

The driver, David Gaines, called 911 and waited for police, reports say. Officer Andrew Combs took the boy back to the station, where officers gave him juice and crackers and tried to figure out where he lived.

"He was happy as could be with us," Sarasota police Capt. Stan Duncan said. "We made sure he was OK while we were trying to find his parents."

Detectives took the boy's picture and started canvassing the neighborhood.

On Wisteria Street, a woman looked at the picture and told an officer, Janine Hebeler, that the child lived nearby.

Hebeler and others went to the home and pounded on the door. Warren, 25, and Harbour, 21, were still asleep. When they answered the door, they said both their children were in the home with them, police said.

Hebeler demanded that they make sure. When the couple checked, they became frantic: The oldest was missing and they did not know how he got out, police said.

Warren and Harbour explained that they usually lock the child's door at night so he does not get out. But on Wednesday evening, they let the child crawl into their bed because he was restless.

Warren and Harbour could not be reached for comment Thursday night. No charges had been filed against them.

City police and state welfare investigators are handling the case together.