TAYLOR, Mich, – Taylor Police Chief Mary Sclabassi says the parents of an 8-year-old who was the subject of an Amber Alert Wednesday morning are in custody.
Haley Poupard was reported missing around 3:30 a.m.
Sclabassi said the girl's mother told police the family had been sleeping in their vehicles in the parking lot of the Comfort Inn off Telegraph Road, and woke to find Poupard missing. But Sclabassi said it appears the girl was never at the hotel, and was found sleeping around 8:30 a.m. at the family's home in Dearborn Heights.
Sclabassi said it wasn't immediately clear if the family had been evicted, or left their home voluntarily, or if the girl was left behind on purpose.
"We are still investigating the circumstances as to how and why she was left behind while the other family members left in the middle of the night in search of a hotel."
"Incredibly frustrating, because you are running against the clock. Fortunately, this worked out as best as it possibly could here, but you can imagine the worst case scenarios going through the investigators' minds this morning," she said.
The parents are being held, but no charges have yet been issued against them. Sclabassi said they could be facing child neglect charges, but the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office would make the decision on charges.