Child in Miami Co. left home following punishment, deputies say

MIAMI COUNTY — UPDATE @ 9:21 a.m.:

The 8-year-old girl who was found at a property on North Lena Palestine Road Wednesday night left her house after her parents had punished her, according to the Miami County Sheriff’s Office.

Chief Deputy Steve Lord said after deputies conducted their investigation it’s been determined that no charges will be pursued against the girl’s parents.

Lord said the child was said to be walking from her home to her grandmother’s home when she was found.

INITIAL REPORT:

An 8-year-old girl was found wandering on a rural Miami County road nearly a half-mile away from her home Wednesday night, according to a sheriff’s office report.

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Deputies responded to a home in the 10000 block of North Lena Palestine Road around 8:45 p.m. Wednesday after the homeowner reported the child was on her property without adult supervision.

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The child told the homeowner she was lost but didn’t know her address or home phone number, according to the report.

“It doesn’t look like the child was supervised properly and we feel a crime has taken place, but the prosecutor is the final authority,” said Miami County Chief Deputy Steve Lord.  “We’re conducting an investigation. We’re going to take those findings to the prosecuting attorney and see if they’ll entertain charges for the parent.”

The 8-year-old’s mother supposedly left the child at home while she went to work, deputies said. The child’s step-father reportedly works third-shift and was sleeping when the child left, according to records.

The child left the house and walked nearly a half-mile before she followed cats and was found by the homeowner on North Lena Palestine Road.

Deputies were able to identify the child’s grandmother who picked her up.