Missing boy, 3, to be reunited with mother soon, police say
VANCOUVER, Wash. -- The case of a 3-year-old boy wandering the streets near a Vancouver elementary school has been solved, police said.
The mother called 911 Thursday afternoon to report that her son had apparently gone missing from his room and she had just discovered he was not there, Vancouver police spokeswoman Kim Kapp said just before 5 p.m. Thursday.
Kapp said there were no signs of criminal neglect. "It looks like it was an 'I-didn't-even-know-he-was-gone' situation," she said.
The boy is expected to be returned shortly to his mother by Child Protective Services, Kapp added.
At about 1 p.m., the child was seen wandering the streets near Washington Elementary School, 2908 S St., and police soon began seeking information on his parents' identity and whereabouts.
A passerby brought the boy to the school, and he was placed in the care of Child Protective Services, police said.
Officers used an automated phone calling system, announcing there was a missing 3-year-old.
The article said that he was in his room. It did not say he was taking a nap! Â I checked my kids frequently,to see what they were doing! I guess,the lack of noise if he was playing would have had me looking sooner! The article did not say,if he went out the door,or went out the window-at any rate,you would think there would have been some noise. I am glad the child is safe and sound!
This one had a good outcome. Â I still remember the one about two boys who kept opening the door and walking out - the same day they started doing this they vanished, to be found days later in a pond. Â Kids can get out - and not always through doors. Â My son, age 4, hopped out a second story window to land in a flower bush, determined to go out in the rain. Â I realized it when I heard him giggling int he back yard! Â He and his sister had pushed out the screen and tossed out half their toys, too! Â LIke us, I am sure these parents are going to be a bit more alert to their child's whereabouts!
All of you who are second guessing the parents and have always know for certain where your children are at all times are living out in left field. These parents are absolutely devoted to all 3 of their children.
 @Stephen As a 4 YO I always had several pennies. (when there was such a thing as penny candy!) At nap time I would sneak out the garage door and walk the four blocks to the local candy store, "Sambo's" and then head back home.  I don't think my parents or grandparents had any idea I was doing that!
Fed him lunch, put him down for his nap. She went to take a shower or some other personal time, he went out instead of going to sleep. When she finally checked to see why he was taking such a long nap she found him gone.
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I had one that could pull that off. Finally had to put chain locks on all exit doors and a broom handle in the back of the slider
Gee, it's just a few days post-holiday, and three-year-olds SHOULD still take naps. And funny thing - that's right at nap time. Since at that age, I still did the right thing and put my kids down for a nap - and most of the time, they were good kids and TOOK their naps, it would be nothing out of the ordinary for them to sleep 2-3 hours in the middle of the day. In early January, right after the holidays, a long four hour stretch of quiet wouldn't surprise me in the slightest...
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But a mischievous kid wandering outside when they weren't even known to get up from their nap? My my, that most certainly would have. So much so that it wouldn't have even occurred to me to check on them until dinnertime. I'd have just assumed they were tuckered out and needed the sleep - I certainly could use an extra-long nap this time of year.
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And from the way most of you sound - you could, too.
Why is it so difficult to know where your child is? For crying out loud, wouldn't you want to check on him after four hours of not seeing him around? Great family life ya got there, mom!
The boy was gone four four hours......??
Very happy that the little boy is safe & OK... and has been / is being returned home... Â :-)
Llittle kids do have ways of getting out undetected. This child could be very well taken care, but stuff happens. I was just a little younger than this child and always had wanderlust. I was born in Fort Totten, NY (army camp). The officer who lived next door with his family, had a little daschund who always dug under the picket fence and happily got out. I chose to do the same thing. My mom and grandma were frantic as we were pretty much surrounded by the Atlantic on Long Island. My dad doing MP duties immediately got into the jeep and drove off to the practice grounds since it was my favorite place (I would march along with the soldiers :) Passing by him was another jeep with four soldiers in it and me on a lap...happy to say the least. Not when mom got done with me :( So kids get away...no matter how well you might think you're watching. We shouldn't come down so hard on this family.
@fracas Good story! Does Readers Digest still exist? If they do that would be a great one to submit.
 @fracas were you gone 4 hours before they discovered you missing?????
 @granny4life  @fracas  As a teenager, I was missing for about 6 days before someone finally noticed. Â
 @QT3.14159  @granny4life  @fracas Parenting fail. ;-)
 @fracas Four hours, though?
 @Lips  @fracas We don't know it was actually physically four hours.  Mom could have called in shortly after he was missing before the child was found and it sometimes takes a little while for one and one equals two.
That was the part that made me go, What??? I personaly would check my kids every 1/2 hour to make sure they where still there... My 2nd boy would shimmy the crib before he could walk. The only thing I had to worry about is to be hit in the face if he made it into my room at night without me hearing him.He thought it was funnny to make dad yell out in pain...The one I had to watch like a hawk was my grand daughter. She had the wandering gene. Turn you're head for just a sec. and she was gone. Good luck on keeping you're eye on the kids 24hrs a day. It only takes 1 sec to be distracted and off they go....
 @CTWU  @fracas The story does need some clarification.Â
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''The mother called 911 Thursday afternoon to report that her son had apparently gone missing from his room and she had just discovered he was not there, Vancouver police spokeswoman Kim Kapp said just before 5 p.m. Thursday.''
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Is this when the mother called, or Knapp made the comment?
 @fracas How could you not know your toddler was missing after more than 3 hours???
What??? The Mother called before 5 pm, and the boy was spoted at about 1 pm, and "It looks like it was an 'I-didn't-even-know-he-was-gone' situation," for 4 hours you don't check what a 3 year old doing. That is ridiculous, there should be a punishment for neglecting a child.
 @sophie.smith I agree....my "child is missing" tolerance is about 10 min, quick inside house search, quick outside perimeter search, then I'm calling 911. A nap MAYBE 1 or 2 hours, then I'm checking on them. Our doors were never easily opened either, I made sure my kid couldn't just open the door and leave.
One of the other channels just reported that the guardian for the child has been located.
Story coming out so far is that he got out of the house when he was supposed to be in his room. Mom searched and then called 911.
Poor little one. Hope his family is found soon. He's right about the age where little ones start learning to open doors, work locks, etc. They get out and the parents are busy searching the house and then all around trying to find them.
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Reverse 911 might not reach the parents/caregivers if they have a cell phone.
@Jenni S. Poor mom too. The panic when you check, he is not there, you run around the house screaming his name. My sister and I were evil little as-sholes; a coouple times we hid and did not come out while mom searched crying.1st time, she was releaved we were ok. 2nd time, well.... just suffice to say we did not do it again OR sit down for a couple hours.
Somebody has to pay for this.
Praying hard this does not turn out to be a very bad situation. I hope this little guy is reunited with those who love him :).
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Technically, the boy is not missing....his parents are.
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I hope nothing bad has happened to his parents/guardians....Just glad the little boy is unharmed.
Glad the boy is OK. Â Whoever was supposed to be taking care of him, parents, babysitter, dropped the ball and better have a good reason why this happened. Â Actually, there isn't a good reason and there better be hell to pay for this major lack of responsibility.
 @boomer For all we know the care giver had a heart attack and is laying dead on the floor. Yes it is horrible this child was wandering around by themselves and are very lucky that he is ok! But before you jump to judgements lets hear the rest of the story.
So scary! Glad someone found him before he got into trouble. Let's hope this is a really big wake up for some otherwise good parents, and not a neglectful situation.
 @medborgare I find it hard to believe this is anything but neglectful.
Poor little guy! Most three year olds know their parents names .... hope everyone is ok and this story has a happy ending.
 @badcat I love happy endings!
 @deejm2112  @badcat deejm2112: Oh, you!
 @tigress  @badcat Ha...I KNEW there'd be a happy ending somewhere!