[Sportschosun, Reporter Jang Jong-ho] A drawing of her mother that a lost 7-year-old Chinese girl gave to police became a crucial clue in finding her family.
At first glance, the drawing alone did not appear sufficient to help locate her mother. However, the girl had captured her mother's distinctive features well enough for police to find her.
According to Sohu.com and other Chinese media outlets, a 7-year-old girl who had been wandering alone recently in Xucheng Subdistrict, Xuwen County, Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province, was taken to a police substation with help from a local resident.
The girl had been left home alone while her parents went out. She left the house to visit a friend, but got lost along the way and eventually found herself walking the streets alone.
A passerby noticed the young child wandering alone nearby and, believing that she was lost, took her to a police substation.
When police asked why she had been outside alone, the girl calmly replied, "I want to find my mom."
The problem was that the girl could not provide the information police needed to locate her family, such as her mother's name, phone number, or home address.
As officers continued asking her about her parents, the girl unexpectedly suggested another way to help.
"I'll draw my mom for you."
After police gave her paper and a pen, the girl immediately drew her mother's appearance. The picture was simple, as one would expect from a young child, but local media reported that some officers burst out laughing when they saw it.
Although it was difficult to identify the family's home based solely on the girl's account, police concluded from various circumstances that it was likely not far from where she had been found. They also considered the possibility that her parents were working at a nearby market or elsewhere in the area.
Police put the girl in a patrol car and drove around the area with her, checking whether she recognized any familiar places. At the same time, they asked nearby residents and merchants about the girl and made inquiries throughout the neighborhood. As a result, officers found her mother in about an hour.
The girl was safely reunited with her parents.
Jang Jong-ho, Reporter bellho@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
