Athens Police and child welfare workers were called to Fifth Avenue on Friday morning when someone reported a child wearing a T-shirt and diaper walking along the street and crying.

Officer Tom Allen responded to the 7:30 a.m. call and discovered a 4-year-old wandering alone near the intersection of Malone Street, said Police Capt. Marty Bruce.

“He was able to show officers where he lived,” Bruce said.

The boy actually led the officers to a home on Horton Street where his parents had left him with a babysitter.

“She fell asleep and didn’t know he’d gone out,” Bruce said. “He’d apparently gotten out on his own.”

Bruce said workers from the Limestone County office of the Department of Human Resources came to the scene and were investigating the case to ensure no neglect was involved.

— Kelly Kazek