A teenager was out walking his dog in Santa Clarita Wednesday night when he came across a young girl in a diaper wandering a busy street with a backpack and a dog.
The 6-year-old girl was spotted walking in the heavily trafficked area of Magic Mountain Parkway near McBean Parkway around 10:45 p.m., the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department stated in an email.
Julius Rivera, the Good Samaritan who noticed the girl and kept an eye on her to make sure nothing happened, felt the situation needed more attention.
“I was trying to stop her, but then she was just running from me, so I called the cops, and they found her over here,” Rivera said in the parking lot of a nearby Five Below store.
“She was just wearing a diaper and a shirt, and a backpack, and she had her little dog and an iPad,” Rivera said.
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A child in a diaper was found wandering a busy Santa Clarita street with her dog on Aug. 27, 2025. (KNN.News) -
A child in a diaper was found wandering a busy Santa Clarita street with her dog on Aug. 27, 2025. (KNN.News) -
A child in a diaper was found wandering a busy Santa Clarita street with her dog on Aug. 27, 2025. (KNN.News) -
A child in a diaper was found wandering a busy Santa Clarita street with her dog on Aug. 27, 2025. (KNN.News) -
A child in a diaper was found wandering a busy Santa Clarita street with her dog on Aug. 27, 2025. (KNN.News)
A child in a diaper was found wandering a busy Santa Clarita street with her dog on Aug. 27, 2025. (KNN.News)
Video showed Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputies responding and placing the child in a patrol vehicle while also securing the dog.
Deputies used the girl’s iPad to identify her name and address, but found the mother was asleep inside the home.
“The suspect displayed symptoms of intoxication, including slurred speech, impaired coordination, and a strong odor of alcohol,” the Sheriff’s Department said. The unidentified mother was also unaware that her daughter was gone.
The girl, who authorities said appeared to have developmental challenges, was later released to the custody of her father.
Her mother was arrested on suspicion of felony child endangerment involving risk of serious injury or death and was taken to the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station.
“We take child safety extremely seriously. Even one moment of impaired supervision can place a child at risk of tragedy, and our deputies will always act to protect those who cannot protect themselves,” the Sheriff’s Department said.