Police said the 2-year-old girl and her 9-month-old brother had been left without adult supervision for about three hours.
LINCOLN, Neb. — Two Lincoln parents were arrested after police said their 2-year-old daughter was found wandering alone in an apartment complex parking lot while her 9-month-old brother remained inside the family’s home.
Michael Djan, 32, and Gifty Djan, 28, were taken to the Lancaster County Jail on suspicion of misdemeanor child abuse after officers investigated the Sept. 25 incident, according to Lincoln police and local reports. Police said the parents had been away for about three hours while they went to church and shopping. The allegations against them have not been proven in court.
Officers were called at about 7:15 p.m. to an apartment complex near North 24th and T streets after someone reported finding a young child wandering in the parking lot. Police initially did not know the girl’s name, where she lived or who was responsible for her care.
The girl was nonverbal, according to police accounts reported by local news organizations. Officers initially estimated that she was between 3 and 5 years old as they searched the apartment complex and spoke with residents in an effort to locate her family. Police also used social media to seek information about the child.
About two hours after officers arrived, Michael and Gifty Djan returned to the apartment complex and identified themselves as the girl’s parents, police said. Investigators then determined that she was 2 years old and that another young child was still inside the family’s residence.
Police said the girl’s 9-month-old brother had also been left without an adult in the home. The children had been sleeping when their parents left, according to police. Local station KFOR, citing Lincoln Police Department public information manager Erika Thomas, reported that the infant was apparently in a car seat when officers investigated.
Authorities said the parents had been gone for about three hours. Publicly available reports did not describe injuries to either child, and police did not release details explaining how the 2-year-old left the residence and reached the parking lot.
The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services removed both children from the residence following the investigation, police said. Officials did not publicly disclose where the children were placed afterward or provide additional information about their circumstances.
Michael and Gifty Djan were arrested and lodged at the Lancaster County Jail on suspicion of misdemeanor child abuse. The reports reviewed did not provide information about later court appearances, pleas or whether prosecutors had filed formal charges beyond the allegations reported by police.
The Lincoln Police Department continued to describe the matter as a child abuse investigation in the latest reports available. No additional allegations or further information about the children’s condition had been publicly announced.
Author note: Last updated September 30, 2026.