3-year-old found wandering alone in North Hills reunited with father

NORTH HILLS, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Los Angeles police said a 3-year-old boy has been reunited with his father after he was found wandering alone in North Hills Monday.

According to police, detectives interviewed the child's father before they released the boy. Detectives said "some sort of confusion" between the child's father and another family member led to the child being left alone and wandering off.

Detectives said the child's father believed that the family member would be taking the boy to a medical appointment Monday, but the family member slept in and didn't realize that the child was still in the home when he woke up.

"He is very scared. He's upset. He's shaken," an officer said of the child's father.

According to police, the boy was found playing around some loading docks near a supermarket by a delivery truck driver around 6 a.m. in the area of Van Nuys Boulevard and Woodman Avenue.

An LAPD detective said the boy seemed happy and healthy. He was wearing clean clothes when he was found, but no shoes. The boy only spoke Spanish, according to police.

Detectives said the father is unlikely to face charges.