TAYLORSVILLE — Taylorsville police say a 4-year-old girl was found wandering around by herself Tuesday, but family members didn't report her missing until nearly six hours later.
The young child was found wandering around the YMCA Community Family Center, 4223 S. Atherton Drive.
"The child had been wandering around their facility for about 30 minutes before they brought her inside and another 20 minutes to see if anyone would come by looking for the child. No one came by in that time frame," according to a police booking affidavit.
Police were called and officers walked through nearby neighborhoods trying to find her home. Eventually, she was turned over to the custody of the Division of Child and Family Services.
"The child was missing and in our care for over 2 1/2 hours. No one called or reported a missing child at that time," the affidavit states.
It wasn't until about 3:30 p.m. that the girl's father called 911. The father said he had dropped the girl off at her aunt's apartment, which was across the street from the YMCA. The aunt told police she left for work about 9:30 a.m. and told her 15-year-old son to watch the young girl, according to the affidavit.
Video cameras in the apartment complex caught the girl out in front of the apartment at 9:49 a.m. "That was the last time she was seen on any apartment cameras," the affidavit says.
It wasn't until 1:30 p.m. when the aunt got home that anyone realized the young girl was missing.
The 31-year-old aunt was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of child abandonment.
