An investigation is underway into why three children who initially couldn’t be found — sparking an amber alert — were left in a car parked near a Queensland service station.
The three children — a three-year-old girl, five-year-old boy and six-year-old boy — went missing from a home in Paradise Point on the Gold Coast at 4pm on Sunday.
Police issued an amber alert at 3am on Monday, before the children were found safe on Monday morning.
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The children had been inside a blue Hyundai I30 that was parked near a 7-Eleven service station at Mount Warren Park in Logan, about 30km from where they went missing.
About 7am on Monday, the children got out of the car and were spotted by a staff member, who alerted police.
“The children actually went to the 7-Eleven. The information we have is that they were in the vehicle and they walked to the 7-Eleven which is nearby and obviously the employee there has contacted police,” Superintendent Mark White said.
“They will be medically assessed because the information we have is they were in the car overnight by themselves.”
Police are investigating if the children’s father, a 27-year-old man, left the children unattended at the service station.
“We are eternally grateful that those children have been located safely,” White said.
“There is still an ongoing investigation as to the circumstances surrounding the children being located where they were this morning.
“You can’t leave children unattended, especially children of that age.”
Child protection officers are involved in the investigation.
The man, who remains in police custody, has legal entitlements to care for the children, White said.
“There was no issue with him having custody of the children,” he said.
Police have appealed for information on the movements of the blue Hyundai I30 since Sunday afternoon.
“If anyone has seen that vehicle … or the children or any other occupants of the vehicle between 4.30pm at Paradise Point and 7am this morning at Mount Warren Park, would they please ring CrimeStoppers, because there is still an ongoing investigation as to how those children ended up there by themselves this morning,” White said.
The man is yet to be charged over his alleged actions related to the children.
But White revealed he was due to face court on Monday over charges related to a “disturbance” at a Slacks Creek home, in Logan, which led to police becoming aware of the disappearance of the children at about 10.30pm on Sunday.
“Police were called to address at Slacks Creek in relation to a disturbance. As a result, the male person was arrested and has been charged with offences,” White said.
“It was from that point that we became concerned about the location of the children.”