“I broke down crying and realized the real situation of what happened, and at that point, that’s when I started to become really angry and furious.”
SAN ANTONIO — The parents of a 1-and-a-half-year-old boy are demanding answers and warning others after their toddler was able to walk out of a northeast-side daycare and was found wandering along a busy road Thursday afternoon.
San Antonio police say they were called to the 4400 block of Thousand Oaks Drive after receiving a report of a young child walking near the roadway — alone.
The child, Jiraiya, had reportedly left Bright Kids Daycare and Learning Center, located at 4503 Thousand Oaks Drive, without staff noticing. According to his mother, Janet Martinez, when she arrived to pick him up, she was met with panic.
“When they told me, I was in shock,” Martinez said. “They were telling me that Jiraiya had escaped and he was missing. My heart sank.”
Martinez says Jiraiya was able to get past three doors — including a coded door — before exiting the building and crossing a street.
A group of good Samaritans saw the toddler walking near traffic, picked him up and called Child Protective Services and police. They waited with Jiraiya in a truck until authorities arrived.
“They were three very kind people who found him,” Martinez said.
Daycare staff reportedly realized quickly that the child was missing and went out looking for him, eventually locating him with the good Samaritans. However, the daycare workers were not allowed to take him back until officers were on scene.
Martinez described the emotional toll of the incident, saying she only began to fully process what had happened once Jiraiya was back in her arms.
“I broke down crying and realized the real situation,” she said. “That’s when I started to become really angry and furious. Nobody was in the front office watching my son.”
Martinez said she is thankful for the strangers who found her son and called for help.
“I could have been planning a funeral right now,” she said.
Jiraiya’s parents say they are considering legal action and want the daycare to take full responsibility. They’re also urging other parents to thoroughly research childcare facilities before enrolling their children.
KENS 5 reached out to Bright Kids Daycare for comment. A person answered the phone but declined to speak and quickly hung up.