'I'm just glad they're home safe': Toddlers returned home after found wandering NW Oklahoma City neighborhood
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) - Two toddler boys are back home after a woman discovered them wandering a northwest Oklahoma City neighborhood Friday morning.
Latisha Phipps was picking up her best friend’s son at his home to carpool to school when she made the discovery.
She first found the children, both around 2 years old, crying around 7:30 a.m. They were sitting on the porch of a home next door.
"I looked over and I see two little boys screaming and crying," said Phipps.
Phipps said her maternal instincts started to kick in and she knew something was wrong.
"They were barefooted, no jacket,” said Phipps. “They had their clothes duct taped together. So I immediately swooped him up and took them in, called you, called the police."
She said she surprised her best friend, Tamara Lott, when she came back inside with the two twin boys under her arm.
"I automatically brought them in, trying to get them warmed up, make sure that they were safe,” said Lott. “Then I just started going down the street. I was running, knocking on everybody's door."
Oklahoma City police arrived and started canvassing the neighborhood, asking if anyone recognized the boys. Police told News 4 they also contacted the department’s Crimes Against Children division and DHS. Area daycares were also notified.
After three hours of searching, officers circled back and knocked on a neighbor’s door three doors down once more. That finally led to answers.
The mother was found and unaware her children had disappeared.
Officers checked the home and found a window unlocked and open to the outside. It was a long drop for the toddlers but appeared to be the escape route.
After an hour of questioning by DHS, a decision was made to return the boys to their mother.
"A happy ending. I'm just so glad,” said Lott. “We have to watch out for each other and our kids and that age. I'm just glad they're home safe."
DHS planned to do another follow up with the family in coming days to make sure the home was child-proofed so this kind of incident did not happen again.