MADISON HEIGHTS, Mich. – An unsuspecting driving instructor found two young children stranded outside a Madison Heights high school on Saturday while stopping at the building for a moment.
On Saturday, July 15, a driving instructor with the Official Driving School was stopping for a quick bathroom break at Lamphere High School, a frequent meeting location for the driving school. As John Belyea walked up to the building, he heard a strange noise that made him initially think cats were fighting outside the school.
He made loud sounds as he approached the entrance to try to scare the cats off. As he got closer, though, he thought “something’s wrong.” He wasn’t hearing cats, he was hearing the sound of a baby.
Belyea looked around and finally found the source of the noise: Two young children tucked behind a small brick wall outside the school, both sitting in car seats. One child is 4 weeks old, and the other is 2 years old, police confirmed Thursday.
UPDATE: Woman, 20, arrested after infant, toddler found near dumpsters behind Madison Heights school
The driving instructor called 911, and police and fire departments responded immediately. Belyea said the child making noises really saved both the children, because they were otherwise not visible sitting behind that brick wall.
“I know, whoever did this, they were in a bad situation,” Belyea said. “I also feel bad for the young kids, because I don’t know how long they were there for.”
You can see the scene where they were found in the video player above.
Belyea told Local 4′s Megan Woods that he thinks the situation could’ve been handled differently. Had he not happened upon the children on a whim Saturday, they could have stayed there until Monday, when more people are at the school. But because it’s summertime, there are few people at the school to begin with.
Police have not shared much information about the incident, but have confirmed that the children were found, and that the situation is under investigation. It is currently unknown if police will seek charges in this case.
A note was found on the children, but it’s unknown what the note said.
Under Michigan’s so-called Safe Haven laws, also known as Safe Delivery laws, parents can legally surrender their newborn within 72 hours of their birth at designated locations like hospitals and police and fire departments.
Resources are available for Michigan families going through a difficult time. The United Way has a Michigan resource database for families for anything from diapers to food and rental assistance. Click here to access the database.