TULSA, Okla. — Tulsa police found 3-year-old King Smith after they said his mother paid another homeless woman $50 to take him from her.
TPD says Smith will be in DHS custody, and no arrests have been made.
WATCH: Tulsa police find 3-year-old missing since July 4
The boy's mother is Lakeitha Timmons. 2 News Oklahoma's Stef Manchen interviewed her back in June about life as a homeless individual in Tulsa.
Local News
'Rather be dead': Woman expresses affordable housing need amid homeless spike
Then, she told 2 News her son was staying with a friend to keep him safe and off the streets, while she struggled to get into a shelter.
“They only take so many people per day, or, I would think, people with kids would be at the top of the list because I’ve slept out here many a night with my son," said Timmons. "He’s just not here right now, but he was out here for three weeks with me.”
TPD shared a timeline of the case. It began on July 1.
July 1:
According to TPD, Timmons was at Catholic Charities with her son when employees there noticed the child making inappropriate sexual and violent gestures with toys. Catholic Charities then contacted the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, worried about what the child was being exposed to.
July 4:
TPD said Timmons paid another homeless woman $50 to take her son from her. That woman took him to her mother's house for a celebration.
The homeless woman's mother posted a picture of the young boy to Facebook to see if someone could claim him. A woman then messaged the mother, saying she knew the child's father.
The father has been identified as Darnell Smith.
King was taken to a QuikTrip on Peoria Ave. and given to an unknown black male driving a Yukon. It's unclear if the man was the father.
Officers received a couple of reports of the child being seen, with possible other homeless individuals around downtown Tulsa.
Police said an Amber Alert could've been activated without additional information and the location of the individuals involved in this incident.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere --
- Download our free app for Apple, Android and Kindle devices.
- Sign up for daily newsletters emailed to you
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Watch LIVE 24/7 on YouTube
