Boys to be reunited with family after being found wandering in SW Houston neighborhood, HPD says

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Two little boys will be reunited with their family after being found unattended and wandering in neighbors' yards in southwest Houston, according to police.

A woman told Eyewitness News that two little boys wandered up to her home Wednesday morning with no adults in sight.

The Houston Police Department said officers responded to the report about two unsupervised children at about 9 a.m. in the 11600 block of Sharpview Drive.

Commander Reece Hardy said the boys are under 5 years old and appeared to be in good health. They weren't able to tell police any identifying information.

When police arrived at the scene, they advised the homeowners not to take the children into their homes, according to the woman. Instead, they gave the kids water and snacks to try and help.

She told ABC13 the children were in soiled diapers but didn't seem to be upset. As police were waiting for Child Protective Services to arrive, ABC13 crews showed up at the scene.

Eyewitness News learned that the Houston Fire Department took the children to Texas Children's Hospital, where CPS met with them.

ABC13 crews saw the children were barefoot and wearing pajamas.

At about 4 p.m., ABC13 saw a woman calling out names while walking down the street, looking panicked and distraught. She told Eyewitness News she was looking for her two nephews, who were wearing pajamas. The woman said the boys' mom, who is her sister, recently died in Arizona, and they are in the process of transitioning custody into their extended family.

She told ABC13 their grandma is normally up early with them, but when she and the boys weren't home Wednesday morning, everyone assumed they were with her. By the time they realized they weren't, they called the police.

The boys live just a few houses down from where they were found.

Just before 4 p.m., Houston police tweeted out the boys' photos asking the public to help identify them. Just an hour later, police said in a tweet that the boys' family members were identified and will be reunited with the children. Authorities are continuing to investigate why the boys were left unattended.

"If they were intentionally left behind, then that's a felony offense," Hardy said. "But we don't know the circumstances of how they were left here."

"(We see this) more often than we would like," Hardy said. He applauded the women for handling the situation with caution, making sure there was no threat, and calling the police.

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