5-Year-Old Boy Leaves Coon Rapids Day Care, Walks Home Alone

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – The state is investigating a day care in Coon Rapids after a five-year-old wandered out of the building early Monday morning.

The New Horizon Academy is located along Hanson Boulevard. Coon Rapids police and neighbors say the child made it almost a half mile to his home and neighbors found him crying in the front yard.

When Charisse Tester and another neighbor found the boy, it took them a few minutes to figure out he had left day care.

"She said she heard screaming and wailing outside and thought it was my boys," Tester said about the neighbor who first discovered the boy.

The child crossed four lanes of traffic and walked two long blocks home.

"If you just watch that road for a minute it's a second or two before another car goes," Tester said.

Tester said she happens to know the director of the New Horizon Academy and gave her a call, the day care then informed the child's mother.

"This could be a tragedy we are talking about right now," Tester said. "It's scary and I can't even imagine as a mother getting that call saying your son wandered out of the day care."

The day care released this statement:

"First and foremost, we want to emphasize that our most important priority is the safety and well-being of the children in our care. Parents trust us, and we take this responsibility very seriously. On August 8, 2016, local media reported a story regarding an incident at our Coon Rapids center. A preschool child left the classroom and walked a block to their home. A staff member quickly returned the child safely to the center."

"The Department of Human Services (DHS) was immediately notified, and we are working closely with local authorities regarding the incident. We will take appropriate steps to continue to ensure the safety of the children in our care."

"The safety of the children in our care is of the utmost importance," said Penny Allen, Chief Financial Officer. "We have been in contact with the family, and they appreciate the concern of the public. They understand that New Horizon Academy is taking the necessary steps to ensure the safety of all children and wish to keep the identity of their family and the staff involved in the incident private. We want to honor those wishes, and ask that the media and public do so, as well."

A Coon Rapids police report that the child's mother filed explains the boy went to use the bathroom, and went out the door to the playground area without anyone seeing.

"He is sweet and very bright so it kind of doesn't surprise me he was able to get home," Tester said.

The police report states staff members noticed him missing and were searching for him when Tester called.

"I'm just so grateful nothing happened to him because this could've turned out so much worse than it did," Tester said.

The DHS is investigating and would not comment further on this case. The DHS also investigated instances of children leaving the daycare in 2008 and 2014.

The license holder had to pay a $1,000 fine for maltreatment in the first incident and the facility was cleared in the second.
The state reports a staff person is required to be within sight and hearing of a child at all times.

There is not any specific law about alarm systems or locks, but this facility told WCCO they are installing alarms on all the doors and playground gates as of Tuesday.