A Georgia caregiver was arrested after a toddler in her care allegedly wandered off unnoticed for about 30 minutes, according to police and court records.
Maria Guadalupe Almanza Rivera, 29, was identified as the boy’s caregiver, according to warrants.
The suspect was charged with second-degree child cruelty and reckless conduct, online jail records show.
On Monday, September 14, an investigation was launched around 5:45 p.m. in Marietta, Georgia, police said.
A 3-year-old boy was spotted wandering in the area of Franklin Gateway and Twin Brooks Drive, according to officers.
Two women who were driving through the area saw the boy, according to the Marietta Daily Journal.
The women picked up the child and brought him to a nearby gas station before calling the police, officers said.
The boy was unable to identify himself or tell officers where he came from, according to police.
Investigators posted the child’s photograph to the police department’s Facebook page to ask the public for help, authorities said.
The boy’s family eventually identified him from the post and arrived to pick him up around 7:30 p.m., police said.
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Officer Chuck McPhilamy applauded the two women who stopped to ensure the toddler was safe, according to the Marietta Daily Journal.
“They were fantastic,” McPhilamy told the Marietta Daily Journal. “They stayed the whole time until we were able to locate the family.”
The police department also released a statement thanking members of the public for their help after the photograph was shared online, officials said.
“We would like to express our gratitude to everyone that assisted with sharing the information as well as helping look for the family,” Marietta police said in a statement. “This was an amazing example of a community working together.”
Almanza Rivera reportedly failed to realize that the child had been missing for about 30 minutes, according to warrants obtained by WXIA.
The caregiver reportedly waited approximately two hours after he went missing before alerting his family members that she could not find him, the warrants state.
She then asked the relatives to help search for the boy, according to court documents.
Amid the search, the suspect allegedly sent a text message to a family member, according to the warrants. She asked them to tell police that she was in the bathroom when the boy first went missing, the warrant states.
Almanza Rivera was subsequently arrested and transported to the Cobb County Jail, according to records.
The Marietta Police Department had no additional updates to share regarding the case, officials said.
Almanza Rivera is currently being held without bond at the jail, records show. It is not currently clear whether the defendant has entered a plea or retained legal counsel, according to records.
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