Ohio toddler found frozen to death on porch

AKRON, Ohio — Police are investigating the death of a 2-year-old who was found out in the cold on her front porch.

The frantic mother called 911 after discovering the girl unresponsive on their front porch, Fox 8 Cleveland reports.

Akron police say around 3:30 p.m. Friday, they were called to the apartment. According to the 911 call, the mother told the dispatcher she found her daughter ‘frozen’ outside.

“I cried because I just don’t understand how a two year old could be outside and you not know,” said neighbor Crystal Lucas.

Lucas says the woman who lives in the apartment kept to herself and had two children, the 2-year-old girl and a boy. She was surprised when police officers knocked on her door.

“It was freezing and that was my biggest worry when the cops came, when they started asking about the kids. They didn’t divulge what was really going on, but when he asked about the kids, obviously something was going on and I was worried,” Lucas said.

Neighbors say they would occasionally hear people arguing outside of the apartment. Lucas says she has seen both children outside alone before.

“I’ve had to take the baby home because she’ll be outside playing…it was a few times that I had to take both of her kids home,” she said. “It’s just a very sad situation, it literally broke my heart.”

The temperature for much of Friday remained in the teens.

The girl was taken to Akron Children’s Hospital where she died.

There is no information on the whereabouts of the mother. Police are not releasing the toddler’s name, but say they are still investigating.

The Summit County Medical Examiner’s Office will be conducting an autopsy.