SALEM, Mass. — Salem Police released new details of the investigation into a Salem daycare after a 3-year-old boy wandered outside unsupervised for nearly 30 minutes on Friday.
In a story first broken on Boston 25 Monday night the child’s parents told Boston 25′s Drew Karedes, that their son Damian was found by a mail carrier near a gas station on busy Lafayette Street around 11:15 a.m. They said the mail carrier contacted the police who notified Salem Community Child Care on Congress Street.
Police said in a statement Tuesday that officers found the boy wearing a long-sleeved shirt, sweatpants, and only socks on his feet.
According to the Boston 25 Weather Team, the temperature was in the mid-30s on Friday morning.
Medical care was dispatched to the scene and the boy was transported to North Shore Medical Center for an evaluation as a precaution. The boy’s mother and father said they were then contacted by police who told them to get to Salem Hospital where their son was being checked out by doctors.
“The police, a doctor, and a pastor were waiting there. I felt like I was going to pass out,” said mother Martha Esquivel. “When we went into the room, I saw a lot of people there, and I just started crying. I found my son and he started crying… screaming mommy, mommy.”
While on the scene, police said on Tuesday, officers were approached by staff from the Salem Community Childcare Inc., located at 90 Congress St. Staff related they were looking for a child that had been in their care.
“The investigation showed this was the same child, and that he had opened the door to the daycare at 10:43 a.m. and walked outside,” police said Tuesday. “The child’s parents were notified, and a report was made by officers to the Department of Children and Families, who will work in conjunction with the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care on this matter.”
Martha Esquivel and Joel Espaillat said surveillance from the daycare shows their son not being watched for more than 30 minutes and repeatedly attempting to open a heavy side door.
“My son tried to open that heavy door 15 times. They didn’t notice. They were not supervising him,” said Esquivel.
The parents said they have yet to receive an explanation or an apology from Salem Community Child Care. Boston 25 News reached out to the daycare for comment and have not yet heard back.
Damian’s parents expressed their gratitude to Dave Moulton, the mailman who found their son, Tuesday night in a phone conversation.
“You literally gave us our life back,” Esquivel told him.
“I just did what I thought was the right thing to do, that’s all” Moulton replied bashfully.
Moulton was on his route Friday morning when he saw the 3-year-old dangerously close to a blind corner.
“He’s just three years old,” he said. “Nobody would ever see him if he ran right out there. God must’ve had his hands on that little child to not make him wander out into the streets.”
Moulton says a young woman was the first person to spot the child.
“If she didn’t say anything to me I wouldn’t have known to be looking for him at all,” he said. “Next thing you know as I’m turning to come up the stairs he comes running right by me.”
Moulton was able to corral Damian after the toddler darted in the direction of a park. He hopes others would’ve responded with the same urgency if it had been his child.
“I couldn’t fathom the thought of you’re at work and you think your child is safe at a daycare where you dropped him off.”
Damian’s parents are more than thankful to have him safely home, thanks to Moulton’s heroics.
“Thank god that a mailman out of all people just doing his job came across a little boy,” Damian’s father said. “This is our Christmas miracle man.”
The Salem Police Department, DCF, and EEC are continuing to investigate this incident.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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