OREM — A year-old child remains in state protective custody after he was found crawling across Orem's busy State Street early Thursday.
An Orem man driving northbound at 3 a.m. reportedly swerved to avoid what he thought was a wounded dog in the road. But it wasn't a dog — it was a baby boy.
The man, who wants to remain unnamed, called police.
Orem Police Lt. Doug Edwards and other officers went door-to-door in the surrounding neighborhoods to find the baby's family after no one called to report a missing child.
"We just started knocking on doors," Edwards said. "We knew the child couldn't have crawled very far."
Edwards knocked on the door of the baby's home, which was about a block away from the spot where he was found. But the people at the home, apparently afraid to talk to police, said their baby was fine.
However, when the baby's mother returned to the house from working a graveyard shift, "that's when they told her, 'Your baby is gone,' " Edwards said.
The family called the police at about 9:30 a.m. to report the missing infant.
The mother was reportedly distraught when she found out where the baby had been and was greatly relieved to hear the child was all right.
The baby was found with scrapes, blood and dirt on his hands, knees and face from crawling on the road. He was taken to the Public Safety building, where a dispatcher cleaned him up and put him in a pair of her own baby's pajamas she had with her.
An aunt was baby-sitting the baby while the child's mother was working. The baby apparently crawled away unnoticed through an open screen door.
The Division of Family Services will conduct an investigation before the baby is returned to his parents. Edwards said it is likely that a hearing in juvenile court will be held Monday.
"We would anticipate the baby be returned no sooner than probably Monday after they've had a chance to have a . . . hearing," Edwards said. "They want to make sure when the baby is returned that it returns to a safe situation."
As for possible criminal charges, Edwards said it may be several days before the case is sent to the Orem City Attorney's Office for screening.
E-mail: ldethman@desnews.com