Hinckley makes national news for rescue and community support of abandoned toddler

by Dan Holland

News spread quickly about Hinckley Township police responding to a call around midday on Dec. 23 regarding a young boy and a dog who had apparently been abandoned at Hope Memorial Gardens cemetery on state Route 303.

So did outpourings of donations and support for the 3-year-old, from both the community and around the world.

“[The story] blew up really fast,” said Hinckley Police Sgt. Mike Schroll. “It was extremely heartwarming, but on the flip side of that, it became a little overwhelming because of all the phone calls. At one point on one day, it was a phone call every few minutes – we had a small tally going. I think we eventually got a phone call from every state in the country with people asking questions and wanting to send gifts and donations.”

Gifts poured into the police station, eventually filling up the entire lobby. They were delivered to the boy on Christmas morning.

“He received an abundance of support and donations,” Schroll said. “It got to the point with so many donations and phone calls, that we let people know that he was well supported and had already received an abundance of things. So, we were recommending to people that they donate to their local community.”

The 3-year-old named Tony has been safely reunited with his father.

“The father was completely uninvolved, so ultimately after a transfer from various family members, he did end up back with his dad,” Schroll said. “He and the dog are both back with the dad again. The father was extremely cooperative throughout the entire process and was not involved in the incident.”

A witness at the cemetery Dec. 23 reported that she saw a car speeding away with the little boy and dog running after it. She immediately called police and stayed with the boy until they arrived. The child identified himself to police as “Tony” and could only give the first names of his parents.

“Luckily, the incident was short-lived as far as when he was dropped off,” Schroll said. “There was a woman there who witnessed it. If she hadn’t been there, who knows if he would have been out in the field or ran into the road, or what would have happened. … We were there within minutes and had him back with us here, getting warm and feeding him, within a very short timeframe.”

Hinckley PD posted a picture of the boy on their Facebook page requesting information as to his identity – a post that was picked up by local media. The boy’s father contacted police that same day. They were reunited after the boy spent a short amount of time in foster care.

The incident was unlike anything else Schroll has encountered in Hinckley, he said.  

“It’s a unique situation for anybody – it’s not often that you hear of a mother abandoning a child and pulling away as the kid is screaming and running after her,” he said. “I’ve been here 14 years and haven’t had something of that level happen before.”

Charges related to the incident have since been filed against the boy’s mother.

Hinckley Police Chief David Centner expressed his gratitude toward the community and local media for their involvement and support.

“I would like to thank everyone for their kindness in wanting to buy Christmas presents for Tony, take him in and adopt him. You all are amazing people and why we have such a great community here in Hinckley, all of Medina County and beyond,” Centner said. “Thank you to our local news media for their help in finding the parents. Also, all of the calls and messages to help Tony are greatly appreciated.”

Shroll also voiced his appreciation for the supportive Hinckley community.

“Throughout the years, and especially around the holidays, we’re always getting bakery and everything else sent to us, and it was the same for little Tony,” he said. “In addition to the phone calls and comments, we were getting private Facebook messages of people offering [to open up] their homes, and wanting to adopt him if possible. The community outreach and support were incredible.”

Feature image photo caption: A toddler named Tony who was abandoned at a local cemetery has since been reunited with his father, but not before touching the hearts of well-wishers from around the globe. Photo courtesy Hinckley Police