A pair of Detroit juveniles sleeping outside on the family’s porch has caused concerns among neighbors. Many have speculated the 12- and 15-year-old boys’ parents used the outside as punishment. It has caused so much outrage that neighbors eventually contacted the police and Child Protective Services for help. What they uncovered shocked them.
According to Fox 2, the boys began sleeping on the porch in August. At the time, the temperatures in Michigan were high, but now it’s much colder, and concern for the boys grew. But it appears the boys’ parents haven’t forced them to stay outside. Instead, they are there on their own accord. It’s a bizarre story, but thankfully, it doesn’t include abuse.
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Neighbors were worried about the boys.
While the boys’ parents were sleeping inside their home on Leslie Street near Dexter, the juveniles created a bedroom on a porch that is not enclosed. Neighbor Kiarra Collins didn’t like what she saw.
“It hurt every night to go to sleep and know these kids are out here. In July, it was 80 to 90 degrees. Now it’s 20 degrees. You know what I’m saying? So something needs to be done,” she told Fox 2.
Zaneta Taylor agreed, saying, “They need to [be] placed somewhere in the better place because they never here.”
A concerned resident tried to help.
Marc D’Andre, host of 7 Mile Radio, posted a video on Facebook of himself trying to contact the boys. He asked if they needed help, money, or food. One popped up from under a blanket and simply said, “We’re good.”
“I do catch them walking up at night, but they need to be placed somewhere. It’s too cold to be sleeping outside, they’re just kids,” Taylor told Fox 2.
Police began to investigate.
The story caused so much commotion that police launched an investigation to find out why the boys were outside. Fox 2 reported that the teens attended school and extracurricular activities, but why they slept outside left many confused.
“The Department is deeply concerned over this situation, and any evidence of negligence on the part of the parents will be thoroughly investigated and, if appropriate, referred to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office,” Detroit police spokesperson Justin Hearn said in a statement obtained by the Detroit Free Press.
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The parents reportedly told police their children are welcome into the home at any time.
An investigation determined the boys wanted to be outside and always had access to the inside of the home, Fox 2 reported. Police cleared the parents of any potential charges after learning they tried to help their sons, but the teens allegedly refused. The 15-year-old has past behavioral issues, including a pending assault and battery case.
