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'It was horrifying' | Family finds toddler alone in the middle of the road

They say it took a deputy over two hours to respond after they found a toddler in the street outside their home with no parent in sight.

MACON, Ga. — A Macon man made an unexpected discovery this morning. He says he found a toddler lying in a busy intersection on Nisbet Road.

Lawrence Mims says around 11:20 that morning, he and his wife saw a toddler in the street on their Ring camera. 

“I got him out of the road and I brought him to my yard, and I looked around to see if there was anybody around to identify him,” Mims said.  

His wife, Lenora Mims, called the Bibb County Sheriff's Office and waited 30 minutes before speaking to anyone. 

“It was horrifying," she said. "That's why I called them twice - like, 'It's taking y'all too long.'"

She says there should have been a quicker response time due to the situation. 

“I would have thought they would have moved a little bit faster after hearing the baby's age,” Lenora said. 

After putting in a report, Lawrence said it took more than two hours for a deputy to arrive.

“It was a long wait, a long, tiring wait," he said. "It should never take that long. Not two hours. And they told us, 'Don't change him and don't feed him.'"

He describes how he felt in that moment as a dad himself.

“Lost - just lost," he said. "He was dirty, mud all over him, playing in the ditch."

His wife agreed. 

“That's horrifying to know that your child or to think that your child is out there in the middle of the road,” Mims said. 

Once the deputy got there, he said the dad came running to grab his son. 

“The dad and the police came at the same time,” Mims said. 

Now, the family advises parents out there to secure your doors and to know what your child is capable of doing. 

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