Parents Arrested After Cop Finds Starving 7-Year-Old Peddling Teddy Bear

An Ohio cop went above and beyond the call of duty when he came upon a young boy in a desperate situation.

Officer Steve Dunham helped uncover a heartbreaking situation when he found a 7-year-old boy wandering by himself in downtown Franklin, according to local news station WLWT. The little boy was trying to peddle his teddy bear on the street for money to buy himself food.

“It broke my heart. He told me he was trying to sell his stuffed animal to get money for food because he hadn’t eaten in several days,” Dunham told WLWT.

The shaken officer brought the little boy to Subway for a meal before returning to the boy’s home where his parents had apparently been sleeping, unaware that their son was not home.

“(We) said a little prayer and ate dinner together,” Dunham said. The kindhearted officer gave him some much-needed attention and care before bringing home sandwiches to his brothers.

Police found the home of Michael, 35, and Tammi Bethel, 37, covered in garbage, rotten food, liquor bottles, and cat urine. “It was a really bad situation,” Dunham told InsideEdition.com.

They were charged with 10 counts of misdemeanor child endangerment and their sons, ages 7, 11, 12, 15, and 17, have been put into protective custody with family members and have no contact with the parents.

“(Police) treated them like their own kids, and that’s exactly what law enforcement does in situations like this. How would we want someone to treat our kids? Hopefully, these officers’ actions change these kids’ lives and maybe change the lives of the parents to become better parents,” said Franklin Police Chief Russ Whitman told WLWT.

Please learn how you can help the Bethel boys below and watch the video for more information.

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Parents Arrested After Cop Finds Starving 7-Year-Old Peddling Teddy Bear is an article from: LifeDaily