Charlotte girl, 2, wandered from bedroom in the middle of the night, CMPD says
A 2-year-old went missing in east Charlotte Thursday, sending police into an extensive overnight search. While drones flew overhead and K9s searched the grid, the girl was with a neighbor, according to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.
Inez Fontaine’s father tucked her into bed with her pink jumpsuit and Juicy sweatshirt at 9:30 p.m., said Captain Michael Ford at a news conference Friday morning. When he checked on her just after 4:30 a.m. Friday, she was gone — and the front door of their apartment on the 8000 block of Pence Road was open.
Police say the little girl woke up around 11:30 p.m. and knocked on the door of a neighbor who previously cared for her.
While officers are still investigating, no charges have been filed as of 1 p.m. Friday.
CMPD had issued a missing child alert late Thursday asking for the public’s help to find her. By 7:30 a.m., authorities reported she’d been found.
This story had a happy ending, Ford said, but tales of 2-year-olds alone at night don’t always end well.
“You can imagine... that pit in your stomach,” he said.
Parents should secure doors and consider installing child protective locks on handles, Ford said.
This story was originally published August 4, 2023 at 2:25 PM.
