FRANKLIN, Ohio – An officer in Ohio went above and beyond after finding a 7-year-old boy wandering alone, trying to sell his teddy bear for food, WLWT reports.
Officer Steve Dunham saw the boy wandering around a busy area in downtown Franklin all by himself.
“It broke my heart. He told me he was trying to sell his stuffed animal to get money for food because he hadn’t eaten in several days,” Dunham told WLWT.
Dunham bought the child some food from Subway and took him to the Franklin police Department.
Police began investigating the boy’s situation and discovered he lived with his four brothers in a home full of garbage, cat urine, and liquor bottles. His parents were charged with 10 counts of child endangering.
“(Police) treated them like their own kids, and that’s exactly what law enforcement does in situations like this. How would we want someone to treat our kids? Hopefully, these officers’ actions change these kids’ lives and maybe change the lives of the parents to become better parents,” said Franklin Police Chief Russ Whitman.
According to police, the boy and his four brothers are now staying with family members, and their parents have been ordered to have no contact with them.
