A child found wandering the streets late Thursday evening in Atlantic, was at least temporarily turned over to officials with the Department of Human Services (DHS) for protective custody. Atlantic Police Lt. Jon Parsons told KJAN News the search for the boys’ parents began at around 8:35-p.m., after he was spotted by an off-duty dispatcher with Cass County Communications.

The child, who was estimated to be somewhere between 3-and 5-years of age, was apparently unable to tell police who he was, or who his parents were. That prompted authorities put out a plea for help through the local media and social media, to try and find his parents. Authorities finally made contact with family members, just before 10-p.m.

Parsons said it appears the child’s grandmother was watching him and she may have fallen asleep. She thought the child had been picked up by the parents. When officers found the child, he was placed in protective custody and the parents were eventually reached and informed of his status. Parsons wasn’t sure if the child was still with the DHS as of this [Friday] morning.

Officials with the DHS will likely conduct an investigation into the matter, according to Lt. Parsons, and it will be up to them to determine if any child neglect charges will be filed. Parsons declined to release the name of the boy, his parents or grandmother, while the case remains under investigation.