This is Cheryl Cobins. On Wednesday, August 13th, 2025, at around 10:01 p.m., Oaklan police got a call about a child who had been found alone. Officers were about to learn this apparently wasn't the first time. Watch what happened when they showed up. Hey, what's going on? >> My to my to got out. >> Yeah. >> Oh my god. Jesus Christ. >> She's over at uh seventh place in major. So about two blocks away. >> Yes, sir. >> How would she get out? >> Through the garage. Oh my god. Is there a way I can go get him? >> Yeah, we're going to get Who else is home? >> It's just me and my brother. >> Just you and it's your daughter? >> Yes, my son. >> Your son? >> Yes. He has a ponytail. Can I get to him now? >> Yeah. Let's How old's your brother? >> Younger. >> Here, I'll drive you over there. Or I don't know. I don't >> He'll drive you over there. >> We just >> You got no weapons, nothing like that, right? Mind >> if I just get a quick bath down. All right. just bottles before I put you in the car. Okay. >> Thank you, sir. >> There you go. >> Thank you, sir. >> She Yeah, she she must not know she going to jail. >> How many other kids are at home? >> Just one. >> How long has she been going? >> I just woke up. So when y'all not going to go, I would have to run my cameras back and check everything. >> Baby, are you okay? >> How did you get out? >> A card. >> Tell me last time you found >> When How long have you been outside? I when you left on there, sir, that's when I just woke up. He's late. >> I didn't know he was out until you guys just woke up. >> Yeah. >> He's kind of on expect him to >> so I'm for sure he didn't tell you any information about him. >> No, pizza worker out there said he's been seeing him walking up and down the street for almost two hours. >> Really? >> Who Who is watching him? Who's supposed to be watching him? >> Me, sir. But I'm telling you, it's late at We check he was sleep. He must have woke back up. I'll have to check my cameras and things like that. Like I said, he's on the spectrum, so I'm not sure. Like I I literally was asleep, too. >> I get it. But he I mean until someone called, he was out here walk 2 years old just wandering up and down dark streets for two full hours. >> He had a cell phone >> and he had his I think he had his cell phone on him. >> I talked to whoever grandma is in your phone. I talked to her. She's >> I'm not going to lie, she's very pissed off right now >> about what's going on. So Uh there's some things we got to work out here, so just hang out for a second. >> Sam, do you have an ID on you? >> My name is And also my baby is on like the new watches for Oklahoma. >> You can't leave right now. >> You can't leave. >> Excuse me, sir. >> So, you can't leave right now. >> I'm not. Okay. I just >> a personal conversation. >> Okay. I just saw you walking. >> Let's take uh baby and mom home. We got to get grandma on the phone and get grandma. Okay, >> we're going to drive you home. Okay. >> Wow. You know, part of me is like that could happen to anybody, you know, I I mean, if if if your child is used to, you know, getting up and wandering and stuff like that, like I remember when I was uh when I was younger, right? Um, my little sister, she used to sleepwalk, you know what I mean? She would get up in the middle of the night like and they they wouldn't really know. I would know because she would always come in like the kitchen and like just it was it was crazy. She she [laughter] she used to come in the kitchen and there was like a a a floor vent. She she would sleepwalk, walk around, come into cuz my room used to be off of the kitchen. It was it was right off of the kitchen. I was the only one downstairs. So she would come up from upstairs. She would come sleepwalk come downstairs, go in the kitchen, go at that same vent that's on the floor and and like use the bathroom, like squat and use the I'm like, yo. And it's like, "Yo, wake up. Wake up." Like, and she used to just be out of it. You know what I mean? And it's like, "Oh, man. I gotta pick her up. Come on. Go back to bed." You know what I'm saying? But it's like, nobody else really heard it. Like, nobody else really knew like that. You know what I'm saying? Like, people knew, but they didn't know like that. Like, I knew cuz I could hear it. You know what I'm saying? I'm I'm older, so I'm staying up a little later and stuff like that. Whatever. But me and her, we like 8 years apart. So, you know, she's young. She's little, you know. But yeah, she used to sleepwalk and stuff like that. I wonder if she wonder if she remembers that stuff. But anyway, um yeah, man. You know, so stuff like this can happen, you know, and and you sleepwalk, you don't know what's going on. Now, obviously, this kid isn't sleepwalking. He's just getting into stuff, you know, and if she was sleep and she put him to bed. So, it's like you're thinking he's sleep. Okay, he's finally sleep. Okay, let me go lay down. You know that that can that can happen to anybody, you know, but um either way, you're still responsible. You're in you're going to be in trouble. Um and and that's that, man. You got to have certain things in place for, you know, for the child not to be able to get out. You know, you got to make it difficult for them to get out. At least, you know, if especially if you know, like she already knew what route he took to get out. She was like, "Ah, he probably went through the garage." Like, well, don't you think you should be putting something in place so that way he doesn't get out of the garage, you know? >> Oh, well, no. We got to we got to get home. >> We I can't walk >> and then we need somebody to come watch. >> So, >> what's going on? >> Tell her to come here. >> Hello. >> Who's that? >> My mom. We right here on 87. >> 87th place in major. >> I'm not I'm sorry. What you say? >> Your mom's on the way? >> Yeah. Perfect. >> You said So, what we say? I'm sorry. >> Once your mom gets here, we'll uh explain everything. >> So, he has to go with my mom. >> Yeah. For now. >> For how long do you know? >> Well, you're going to have to come with us. >> To the police station? >> Yeah. >> And go to jail. >> So, you're going to be charged with child endangerment. >> Really? >> Yes. This is the third time that the child's gotten out of the house and it's completely unacceptable. My bad. Yeah, the third time. Nah, can't cut you no breaks on that. I'm thinking maybe this is the first time. Like, nah, the third time. Nah, you're cooked. You're cooked. Cuz it's like, first time it's like, all right, shame on me. You know, second time, shame on you. You know what I mean? You know how that saying goes. You know what I mean? Nah, it can't keep happening. The child's been out for multiple hours and you had no idea until I woke you up. >> What time is it now? >> It is 10:25. >> And so me putting him on the child angel watch list, that was just pointless. >> No, that's not pointless. It would help if we couldn't get a hold of you if he didn't have your cell phone with him. [crying] >> But it still doesn't change the fact that you're the parent. You have to care for him and you have to be aware of where he is at all times. You have to make your house childproof so the child can't get out of the house and wander into 87 street [crying] for 2 hours gas station last time and he was also found. These are busy streets around here. >> What happens if he wanders into the street and gets hit by a car? >> That's crazy. The last crew of police that was with me, they was totally different. Like they told me that this kind of >> No, no, no, no. Don't don't start that BS talking about that's crazy. No, you're crazy. The third time. Nah, come on now. Come on now. I I was feeling a little little sympathy for you in the beginning, but it's starting to turn. Okay. It's starting to turn. >> Happens a lot. They explained about the watch list. >> It It does. It does happen a lot, but it doesn't it doesn't make it. >> Like how, you know, he's on the spectrum. They could tell like that program really helped and things like that. And they like even when DCFS came, they just said they didn't see no signs of neglect and things like that. So, and I took more procedures to make my house safe. I just don't understand. >> Do you know how long that process is? >> Not too long. We'll explain everything and go through everything with you. But like you said, it's >> Yeah. >> Is the Safely Home program useful? Yes. If we weren't able to communicate with him and we found him, then that would change things. We would use the information in that safely home program, but it doesn't just make it okay for the child to be wandering around at 10:00 at night on a Wednesday night, >> which I get it, but they told me that that program was to help with people with special needs, not to not for you to tell me like, oh, you know, you like what the hell is that? Like, >> like I'm explaining to you, it's just unacceptable for you to hear is is who is this? Your mom. >> Yeah. So, what do you think? So what? So I'm just saying, how can you say that's unacceptable if you don't know the situation? >> It's unacceptable that your child was out for multiple hours. >> What's wrong? What? What you doing, bro? >> What you doing? >> You got to come with us. Put your hands right back. >> I know she's doing her best, but it's okay. This is the third time in a month. I mean, >> it don't matter. Y'all don't see him, baby. Come on, man. >> Calm down, boy. >> Calm down. No, [ __ ] >> Come on, grandma. You You You What What you got going on, grandma? What? What What What grandma got going on, man? You You You getting all riled up and everything. Going to ri a child up, man. What's up with you? Oh man, this ain't good. This ain't good. This ain't good at all, man. Grandma, you supposed to just take the child, you know. All right. All right. And, you know, keep everything calm, but you you about to you know, you getting all hyped up, too. Oh, man. >> Mommy. Mommy. >> Mommy. Cage. >> Yeah, I got a cage. >> Mama, come get me. Come on, let's go. Come on. >> I'm talking I can't talk to my mom. >> Yeah, you give her a call when you back to the station. All right. >> This how you treat a veteran. >> Right now, you're going to jail. Okay. >> I understand, but you don't have to act like the police for me. Like, >> okay. No, I just >> I served and protect you just like you did for the country. >> Just like a couple. >> You got to go through real quick. Nothing in your pocket. Got >> my medication. Dification. >> MAMA. MAMA. MAMA. MAMA. Walk to the house. >> Where's it at? Where's your medication? >> Oh, >> where at? >> What's my pocket? This one right here. >> Yeah, this one pill. It's my BV medication. >> BV? >> What is BV? >> Bacteria vacation 29 right now. >> Okay. >> Besides that, anything else? I got to check your back pocket real quick. >> Take a seat. All right. >> Face that way for me. Okay. Let's go. Put the seat belt on you. Let's go. >> With Cheryl Cobbins [music] now sitting in the back of the patrol car, let's talk about how things even got to this point. According to the police report, her son had already been found wandering alone twice before. And both times, strangers spotted him along 87th Street, one of the busiest roads in the area. Now, it had happened a third time. Cobins told officers she had been asleep and didn't even realize he was gone until police knocked on her door. I mean, what do you make of that? Let us know what you think about her actions in the comments. >> All right, come on. >> Just looking at what the camera recorded and the choices made in that moment. So, keep it civil. Now, let's see what she was actually charged with. In the end, Cheryl Cobins, 29, of Oaklan, was taken into custody and charged with endangering the life or health of a child under Illinois law. Officers also documented the two previous incidents where her son had gotten out of the house unsupervised and was found by strangers along 87th Street. Cobbins was given a court date and released from lockup and officers filed a report with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. >> Wow. Yeah. I mean, at first I could understand, you know, if it was one time, you know, they let you slide twice already. They let you slide twice. This is the third time. Nah, can't let it slide. Can't let it slide. Whatever program, no, that's not an, like the officer said, that's not an excuse that or that doesn't make it okay for your child to just be wandering around. You got to make your house or apartment or whatever childproof, you know? You got to you got to put those things in place. Damn, man. Yeah. No, this was the right outcome. I ain't going to lie. This is this was the right outcome. >> [music and singing] >> Just fly with it. Keep it in [singing and music] late night drive. Don't be shy.