Mother of toddler abandoned at Detroit bus stop talks to 7 Action News

DETROIT (WXYZ) - The mother of a toddler abandoned at a Detroit bus stop had to go in to the police department today to answer questions about what happened.

Little Serenity is all smiles today after being reunited with her aunt and her 4-year-old brother.

Her mother, Nicole Howell, walked into the police station this afternoon to answer questions.

“Honestly, I’m just scared I’m going to lose my kids,” said Howell.  Child Protective Services is investigating the 20-year-old mother after the incident.

“I just want to get everything done and over with so they can see that the problem is not on me,” said Howell.  “I wasn’t aware that he was going to do whatever he did. I wasn’t aware.”

Howell said Serenity’s father, Omari Stevens, was supposed to be babysitting the toddler at her home.  Police believe that he is the one who abandoned the child at the bus stop after witnesses described a man leave the child and not return.

“I've known him all my life. I thought I did,” said Howell.  “He’s her father.”

They cannot find the young father but Serenity’s family has heard that he checked himself into the psychiatric ward of a hospital because he was afraid that someone was after him.

Serenity will remain with her aunt who also has custody of Serenity’s brother. Howell gave up custody of 4-year-old Jeremiah when she was only 15-years-old.

“I needed some help. But now, I mean, I'm stable enough to where, you know, I can get him back. That's what I was working on,” said Howell.  “I did not know that he was going to do what he did. I don’t know why he did it.

Howell has been in contact with CPS today and said she is going to work on getting her kids back.

A spokesperson for the Detroit Police Department said they are confident that they can find Stevens and locate him for their investigation.   Police are waiting for the investigation by CPS to be completed before they complete their own investigation and hand it over to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office for review to decide on whether or not to file charges in the case.