ELYRIA, Ohio — An Elyria mother and her boyfriend have been charged with child endangerment after her 4-year-old son was found wandering the streets in the cold rain on Tuesday morning.
Patrol officers from the Elyria Police Department found the boy walking alone in the 300 block of Washington Avenue just after 6 a.m. Police add that the boy was wearing "minimal clothing" in the cold rain after he left his home nearby.
Officers brought the boy to the Elyria Police Department until a parent or guardian was located. Police stayed in the area and searched the neighborhood for nearly three hours before finally identifying the child and his home.
In their investigation, Elyria officers determined that there was a lack of communication between 23-year-old Katrina Guevarez and her 24-year-old boyfriend, Raymond A. Clark. Police say neither adult took proper safety measures to prevent the boy from leaving the house unsupervised.
"The Elyria Police Department would like to thank Lorain County Children Services, the media and the public for their assistance with this investigation," Elyria Police Captain James Welsh wrote on the department's Facebook page. "Officers and dispatchers should also be commended for their efforts to ensure the health and welfare of the child was a top priority."