SOUTHAVEN, Miss. (WREG) — Police sought the public’s help after a two-year-old boy was abandoned at a Mississippi Goodwill store; now, a suspect is in custody.
According to police, a man walked the child to the Goodwill around 10 a.m. Monday and took off.
The child had a plastic bag containing a change of clothes and a note. Authorities said he is so young he cannot provide officers with his name or the name of his parents. The man was not located by police during a sweep of the area.
Later in the afternoon, Southaven Police said the child had been identified and was in the custody of Mississippi Child Protective Services.
Police said a suspect was taken into custody in Memphis around 3:30 p.m. No suspect information or charges were released.
The employee at the Goodwill who took the child told NewsNation affiliate WREG the man walked up to him and said “the child’s mother couldn’t care for him” before walking away.
The note police referenced was written on a paper towel and said “child abandoned…no phone number for mom” and was in a plastic Kroger bag along with clothes and some food.
The child wasn’t dressed properly for how cold it was, the man said, but was in good spirits. He was laughing, playing with toys and eating food until police arrived on the scene. He was also able to hold up two fingers when asked how old he was.
Surveillance cameras in the area captured images of the man and a woman reportedly connected to the incident. If you know the child or can provide any additional information, call (662) 393-8652.