Franklin, Ohio police officer Steven Dunham went above the call of duty after finding a 7-year-old boy wandering the streets alone, trying to sell his teddy bear for food.
âIt broke my heart,” he told WLWT. “He told me he was trying to sell his stuffed animal to get money for food because he hadnât eaten in several days.”
Dunham bought the child some food from Subway and took him to the Franklin Police Department, where police began investigating the boyâs situation and discovered he lived with his four brothers in a home full of garbage, cat urine and liquor bottles. His parents were charged with 10 counts of child endangerment.
â(Police) treated them like their own kids, and thatâs exactly what law enforcement does in situations like this,” Â How would we want someone to treat our kids? Hopefully, these officersâ actions change these kidsâ lives and maybe change the lives of the parents to become better parents,â said
According to police, the boy and his four brothers are now staying with family members, and their parents have been ordered to have no contact with them.