Background: The Moore, Oklahoma, neighborhood where a 6-year-old boy was found wandering by himself after running away from home (Google Maps). Insets (left to right): Dilon Moore and Cathy Ngo (Cleveland County Sheriff”s Office).
An Oklahoma boy was taken in by some caring neighbors after he was seen wandering outside by himself because he said he ran away from home.
The 6-year-old boy’s parents, father Dilon Moore, 35, and stepmother Cathy Ngo, 37, were eventually located by Moore Police Department officers and interviewed. In a Facebook post, police said the couple admitted to abusing the boy, including “burning the child’s foot with a ‘Bic’ lighter” as “discipline.” Both Moore and Ngo were charged with child abuse and child neglect and booked into the Cleveland County Jail.
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According to the police, the boy was taken in by neighbors who found him wandering alone around their neighborhood in Moore, in southern Oklahoma City, on Sept. 21. After police were called to the scene and set eyes on the boy, they allegedly saw “visible injuries, including scars, burn injuries to the bottom of the child’s feet, and signs of malnutrition.”
Local CBS affiliate KWTV spoke to Michael Smithpeter, the neighbor who reportedly took the boy into his home and cared for him until police arrived. Smithpeter told the station, “His chest was sunk in, his belly was distended.” He added, “He said he just wanted to find a family who could love him and care for him. I don’t have that kind of room right now, but I’ve got that kind of room in my heart. I’d do anything for this kid.”
Police said the boy was brought to a hospital for medical treatment and has since been released. KWTV reported that the boy was placed in foster care.
Moore and Ngo remain in custody, each on $200,000 bond.
