Police said the 2-year-old girl and her 9-month-old brother had been left home alone for about three hours.
LINCOLN, Neb. — Two Nebraska parents were arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor child abuse after police said their 2-year-old daughter was found wandering alone outside an apartment complex while her 9-month-old brother remained inside their home.
Lincoln police identified the parents as Michael Djan, 32, and Gifty Djan, 28. Officers determined that the couple had allegedly left the children alone for about three hours Sept. 25 while they went to church and shopping. Both parents were taken to the Lancaster County Jail, according to police. The allegations have not been proven in court.
Officers were called to an apartment complex near North 24th and T streets at about 7:15 p.m. after someone reported finding a young child wandering in the parking lot. Police initially did not know the girl’s identity or where she lived. Local reporting said the child was nonverbal, complicating efforts to immediately identify her family.
Police canvassed the apartment complex and spoke with residents as they tried to locate the girl’s parents. The department also turned to social media to seek information about the child. About two hours after officers arrived, Michael and Gifty Djan returned and identified themselves as the girl’s parents, according to police.
Investigators then determined that the girl was 2 and that her 9-month-old brother had also been left inside the residence, police said. Authorities said the children had been sleeping when the parents left. One local report, citing Lincoln police, said the infant was found in a car seat inside the home.
Police said the parents had been away for approximately three hours. Available reports did not describe any physical injuries to either child. Authorities also did not release additional information about how the 2-year-old got out of the residence and reached the apartment complex parking lot.
The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services removed both children from the residence after police investigated the circumstances, authorities said. Publicly available reports did not provide further information about where the children were subsequently placed.
Both parents were arrested and lodged in the Lancaster County Jail on suspicion of misdemeanor child abuse. The reports reviewed did not provide details about subsequent court appearances, pleas or whether prosecutors had formally filed charges beyond the initial allegations reported by police.
The investigation remained with the Lincoln Police Department following the arrests. Authorities had not announced additional allegations or released further details about the children’s condition in the latest reports reviewed.
Author note: Last updated September 29, 2026.