PHOENIX — A 4-year-old child was found on a city sidewalk after being left home alone for nearly five hours.
Phoenix police report that Tuesday afternoon, a citizen found a 4-year-old girl wandering on a sidewalk near 17th and Glendale avenues.
Police stayed with the child until her father, 22-year-old Munyarugerer Bizimana, returned at 4:50 p.m., nearly five hours later.
Inside the unlocked apartment, police say, there was a strong odor of feces due to a clogged toilet left with the seat up.
Bizimana reportedly told police that he left the girl at home around 2 p.m. to pick up his wife. He left the child at home because he did not have a child car seat.
DCS took temporary custody of the girl according to court documents.
Bizimana was arrested for child abuse.
If you suspect a child is being abused, the Arizona Department of Child Services has resources available to report the issue to a social worker. You can call the Arizona Child Abuse Hotline at 1-888-SOS-CHILD (1-888-767-2445), and will be asked for information about the child, as well as the nature of your concerns. You can also get more information from DCS about reporting abuse or neglect online.
