Parents of a 10-year-old child are accused of leaving their son behind at the airport so they could catch a flight. According to Spain's national police, Guardia Civil, the incident took place a few days ago at Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport. Guardia Civil's Catalonia office told USA TODAY the boy wasn't able to board the flight because of issues with his documentation, so his parents decided to leave him unaccompanied while they boarded with their younger child. At first, airport staff alerted Catalonia police, Mossos d'Esquadra, because the incident happened in a public area of the airport, where they have jurisdiction. They, in turn, alerted Guardia Civil, which has jurisdiction over restricted parts of the airport. Guardia Civil temporarily stopped the flight, found the family members on the plane and escorted them to a Mossos d'Esquadra station, where the child had been taken in the meantime for safety. Mossos d'Esquadra said the child was handed over to the parents, who were being reported for child abandonment. This incident first caught global attention after an apparentairport worker recountedwhat happenedon TikTok. (This story was updated with new information.) This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:10-year-old left at airport while parents continued trip, police say
