Police say the children were found in the shed (right) next to this house. Courtesy KATU
Portland, Ore. -- Police said three children younger than four years-old were found abandoned Thursday night in a shed where homeless people were living. Their mother was located Friday afternoon.
Police did not release her name, say where she was found or provide any other details. They said the investigation is continuing.
The shed was on the property of a vacant home. Homeless people told officers the children were abandoned there Wednesday night by a woman they believed was the mother.
Just before 9:30 a.m., a man called 911 and told police he'd heard children's voices coming from a shed behind his house.
When officers arrived, they found a vacant house and a nearby shed where several homeless people had been living. They also soon discovered three children, the station reports.
The homeless people told police a woman, possibly the three's mother, abandoned the children in the shed on Wednesday night.
"It was heartbreaking to see those little kids come out," Judy Baxter, who lives across the street from the vacant home, told KPIC-TV. "It was sad. It was just sad. They'd given them stuffed animals, and two of them were walking. And the cop had the other one in his arms."
Photos of the children are available on KPIC-TV and CNN's websites.
CNN describes the three in detail:
The youngest among them is described by police as a 15-pound infant who is between the age of 8 and 15 months old. She has short black hair, brown eyes and two front, lower teeth showing.
The next oldest child found is another girl. Weighing 28 pounds, she has long black hair and brown eyes and is about 2 years old, police estimate.
The third child is a boy, approximately 3 years old. He also weighs 28 pounds and has brown eyes, as well as short black hair.
Police are asking anyone with information about these children to call the Department of Human Services' 24/7 Child Abuse Hotline at 503-731-3100.