11-year-old home alone for weeks survives on frozen food, Arizona cops say

An 11-year-old boy left at home alone by his parents for two weeks after Thanksgiving told authorities he had frozen food to eat, Arizona officials said.

But the boy told the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office that he hadn’t been to school since his parents left, deputies said in a news release.

Deputies said they found the boy Dec. 12 after someone called to report they thought a child had been left at home alone in Elfrida.

They found the boy’s 34-year-old mother had gone out of state before Thanksgiving, the sheriff’s office said, and his 40-year-old father had followed after the holiday.

Officials did not say why the parents had left, but authorities were unable to contact them so Child Protective Services took custody of the boy.

His parents were arrested on suspicion of child neglect when they returned to Arizona on Thursday, Dec. 30, the sheriff’s office said. An investigation into the incident continues.

Elfrida is a community of about 420 people near the U.S.-Mexico border, southeast of Tucson.

This story was originally published January 3, 2022 at 8:07 AM with the headline "11-year-old home alone for weeks survives on frozen food, Arizona cops say."