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Detroit police locate missing 3-year-old and 1-year-old

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Two siblings reported missing on Detroit's west side have been found safe.

Police say 3-year-old Zamar Cox and 1-year-old Marcia Cox were with a family friend the whole time.

Detroit Police Commander Johnny Thomas says the children are now being checked out at the hospital.

"As far as we can tell they're perfectly safe and healthy."

Investigators say they are now working to figure out why their mother reported them missing.

Police say a family friend of the mother had the children and was never aware the kids were reported as missing. After seeing their pictures in news reports, that friend called police.

"They brought the children to this location, so part of the investigation will be to find out exactly where the children were being held."

Police say this all began around 9 p.m. Thursday, when the mother reported the kids were missing since Tuesday.

During their investigation, police say received conflicting reports from the children's parents, who we're told live together in an apartment unit on Whitmore Street, near Palmer Park.

Alarmed that no one seemed to know where the kids were or when they were last seen, police began a ground search, calling in their K9s and the Southeast Michigan Crimes Against Children FBI Task Force.

"It's frustrating because there are resources that are being utilized,” said Thomas.

Right now, police are calling this a custody issue, telling us the mother suffers from "some mental issues" and she has reported the kids as missing before but they were always found with dad.

There is concern with how a custody issue turned into a large-scale missing persons search.

"It's all part of the investigation, we have to get some very clear answers from all involved,” Thomas said.

They do not know if the parents will face any charges, but tell us Child Protective Services was notified.

CPS will decide if the children are reunited with their parents.