4-year-old girl left alone on bus at Oak Park storage facility

Little girl found wandering alone

OAK PARK, Mich. – A little girl was left alone Tuesday on a school bus in Oak Park for more than an hour after all the other children were dropped off.

The result was a frightening phone call for the girl's mother, who learned that her daughter had been found wandering around by herself.

The woman dropped her 4-year-old daughter off Tuesday morning at Kristy's Early Childhood Development Center in Detroit, but then she learned the child was found alone in Oak Park.

Police said it was "an unfortunate accident."

The girl never made it to her destination as she fell asleep on the bus, which is owned and operated by the day care. The driver never checked to make sure all the children got off the bus, leaving her lost at a storage facility in Oak Park.

Tuesday was supposed to be a jam-packed day, with a trip to the Christian Fellowship Academy less than a mile away. Children got on the small school bus and were dropped off at the academy, but the little girl didn't get off.

The bus driver went on his way and parked the bus at a metro storage facility. Around 9:45 a.m., workers at metro storage noticed the small child wandering alone and quickly brought her inside.

Workers said the girl told them her name and her mother's name, and they turned to Facebook.

"She was unable to give an address or a phone, but once we were able to pull up pictures, she identified" her mother, officials said.

Oak Park police messaged the woman on Facebook. The mother was reunited with her daughter at the police station.

Police said nobody was aware of the girl's whereabouts for almost two hours. The day care wouldn't comment.

The girl is OK and back with her family.


About the Authors:

Priya joined WDIV-Local 4 in 2013 as a reporter and fill-in anchor. Education: B.A. in Communications/Post Grad in Advanced Journalism

Derick is the Lead Digital Editor for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports.