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Little girl found wandering near a Cleveland vacant home is now in foster care

Posted at 3:57 PM, Mar 20, 2017
and last updated 2017-03-20 17:35:16-04

The one-year-old girl found alone, crying, and wandering around a vacant home in Cleveland over the weekend is in a foster home right now.

We're told her case is being investigated, but Cleveland Police and Cuyahoga County Family Services will not release her name, so News 5 went to the area she was found.

The vacant home where she was found alone, on East 78th Street in Cleveland, has boarded windows, flaking paint, and the remnants of a "for sale" sign.

According to the CPD report, the little girl was found crying on the steps, wearing her winter coat and boots.

A spokeswoman with Cuyahoga County Family Services told News 5 they can't release her name, but police brought her to MetroHealth hospital and she checked out. She's healthy and doing well.

The little girl was not involved in any prior complaints or reports.

Cuyahoga County Family Services met with her family Monday.

Vacant home issues

Family Services wouldn't tell News 5 if her family lives near where she was found, so we asked around. Frederick Long said he has lived on the street for 30 years; he doesn't recognize the little girl and has no idea how she ended up at that house. He added this case brings to light the serious problem on this street: All of the vacant homes.

"We got a lot of stuff happening around here. A lot got to do with these abandoned houses. They've got to go," Long said.

The spokeswoman with Cuyahoga County Children and Family Services confirmed the little girl's mother actually came forward when she saw photos of her daughter on the news, but she will stay in the foster home while investigators look into this. Police and family services will not release the mother's name. 

RELATED: Cleveland teen's body found in vacant home, points to safety issues caused by abandoned properties