UPDATE: The Grants Pass Dept. of Public Safety (GPDPS) reports that one man is now in custody for neglect, after a small girl was found wandering alone near Williams Highway.
31-year-old Robert Mugleston will be charged with Child Neglect 2, and has been lodged at the Josephine County Jail.
Robert Mugleston has been charged with Child Neglect 2.
Investigation by GPDPS discovered that the same girl had been found wandering in the streets earlier that day, and had been returned home—then later, she was found wandering again near Williams Highway. That's when a police officer came and stayed with the child until her mother was located.
GPDPS thanks the citizens who spread the message and helped identify the child. She is now home safe with her mother, according to GPDPS.
(Updated as of 10:30 a.m. on Friday, March 2018)
GRANTS PASS, Ore.-- A young girl is safe after being found wandering along a busy highway in Grants Pass.
Police and a good Samaritan helped get the girl to safety.
Grants Pass Police posted a photo of a young girl who was found Thursday evening wandering along Williams Highway. The photo was shared across the internet, and thousands of shares later, the girl was recognized and reunited quickly with her family.
These photos also caught our attention.
A man driving by snapped these shots shortly after police were able to take control of the situation. An officer-- sitting on the curb-- with the young girl-- while they waited to find her family.
The man who captured these photos says his dad is retired from a career in law enforcement and thinks its moments like these that deserve recognition.
Kaleb Shaw says, "I just with that with law enforcement today, the bad is what gets put on the internet, and there's not enough good on what they do on a day to day basis."
Grants Pass Police say the girl's grandmother saw her photo posted online, and was able to connect with the officer, who was waiting with the young child in front of a Banner Bank location.
At this point, police say they're still investigating how the girl was able to wander away from home in the first place.
