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4-year-old found without winter clothes in Kalamazoo; 2 women arrested for neglect and mail theft

Posted at 9:17 AM, Feb 10, 2017
and last updated 2017-02-10 09:23:27-05

KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Two women have been arrested in Kalamazoo on child neglect and theft charges after a bizarre incident on Thursday.

Public Safety officers were called to the 2400 block of Kensington at about 8:15pm where a resident reported that a 4-year-old child had come to their home.  The child was not wearing winter clothing and told the resident they had been left alone in a nearby car by their mother.

When officers arrived, they found the mother, a 29-year-old woman and were led to a nearby park where the child told officers that the car was parked.  At the park, officers found a rented box-style truck that was reported stolen from Alabama.

Meanwhile, another resident called police about a woman stealing mail in the 2500 block of Lorraine.  Officers responded with a K-9 and they found and arrested a 27-year-old Alabama woman.

Officers were able to conclude that the two women were together, had driven the stolen truck from Alabama, and had allegedly stopped in the neighborhood to steal mail, searching for money. While they did this, they left the child in the vehicle.

Child Protective Services has taken custody of the child. The mother of the child faces Child Neglect and Vehicle Theft charges. The other woman faces Vehicle Theft and Larceny charges. Investigators are looking to see if there are other victims of mail theft in the area.

The identities of the women have not yet been released.

Anyone with information is asked to call Kalamazoo DPS at 269-337-8994 or Silent Observer at 269-343-2100.