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Officials Investigate After Father Comes To Retrieve Girl Left At Grove

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A parent of the 3-year-old girl who was left with her car seat at The Grove shopping center Saturday night was located Sunday, according to police.

According to the LAPD statement, several parking attendants reported that a woman dropped off the girl with a car seat in the valet parking area about 6 p.m., but nobody came to pick her up. Officers took the girl into custody after the parking attendants notified police.

On Sunday morning, CBS2/KCAL9's Joy Benedict reported that the girl had only been able to tell police that her name is Audrey, so they didn't have much information to work with.

The Los Angeles Police Department issued an alert earlier Sunday asking for the public's help finding the girl.

Officers told CBS2/KCAL9's Adrianna Weingold that the child's grandfather, who lives in San Diego, saw her picture on the news and called her father. They said he arrived at the station Sunday afternoon and was reportedly distraught.

The girl was briefly reunited with her father but will remain in the care the Department of Children and Family Services as they investigate the family's circumstances. Officials said they are trying to find a responsible parent to turn her over to, and they haven't ruled out her father.

Audrey's father told authorities he had planned on meeting his daughter at The Grove in West L.A. so they could take a family photo in front of the shopping center's Christmas tree. He said he couldn't find her and assumed the family member who was supposed to drop her off had already left, and took the girl with her.

"The father was not aware the child was missing," said Lt. Jay Mastick. "He was under the impression that the child was with that family member."

Police said the father is not facing any criminal charges at this time.

Detectives in the LAPD Wilshire division ask that anyone with information regarding the child call 213-473-0476.

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