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Questions Remain After Mother Of Toddler Abandoned At Independence Eve Is Located

DENVER (CBS4) - The search for the family of a little girl is over nearly 24 hours after police found the girl alone at Civic Center Park following the Independence Eve event.

The child's mother has been located but police say questions still remain. The crowd was very large Friday night, but police say the crowd is not to blame. There were several lost children, but the little girl is the only one not reunited with her guardian.

"She was found in a stroller in the middle of the park," Sonny Jackson with Denver police said. "Unfortunately we waited, we waited, we tried to locate an adult who may be with her and nobody showed up."

The case was hard because the little girl didn't know where her parents or grandparents were or even where she was from. There was an estimated 100,000 people at the park for the event.

Late Saturday night police got in touch with the girl's mother, who isn't currently in Colorado. The girl was with her grandmother, but police still need to figure out exactly what happened.

toddler found abandoned child
(credit: Denver Police)

"To abandon a child is a crime, so we have a criminal investigation going on. But we also, more than that, we're concerned, where is this person she was with?"

The girl is going to stay with Human Services through at least Sunday, if not longer. Police said it will be the district attorney's decision if charges are filed in this case or not.

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