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UPDATE: The mother of a a five-year-old boy found wandering late last night at I-55 and Loughborough has been located but questions remain as to whether the child named Noah is physically back with his family.

KTRS' Michael Golde reported from a police substation in Holly Hills that police say is the boy, who identified himself only as Noah, is in protective custody. The boy's mother was located sometime after 5:00a.m. Friday but police would not say how they found her.

St. Louis Police spent Thursday night and Friday morning looking for Noah's parents after he walked into the Schnucks at Loughborough and I-55 just after 11:00 Thursday night.  Authorities say the rain soaked child told officers his name was Noah, he didn't know his last name nor his address. He said the dog with him was named   King and they were both hungry.  The child and his dog were fed by the store manager. A  security guard called police.

Some reports indicate the boy lives nearby and has wandered off before.     

The trial resumes tomorrow for an East St. Louis, Illinois woman accused of animal abuse.

A pit bull puppy was found tied to her her ex-husband's pickup truck and was dragged down a St. Louis interstate.

The case now goes to the defense on Thursday after prosecutors yesterday rested their case in the bench trial of 41-year-old Benetta Johnson.

Authorities believe Johnson tried to return the dog now dubbed Trooper to her ex-husband and, according to her statement to police, told her 13-year-old son last November to put the dog in the bed of her former spouse's pickup truck.

The teen instead tied the puppy to the truck's trailer hitch, and the driver didn't see the dog and began driving down Interstate 55.

The dog survived but underwent a series of operations.

A multi-vehicle accident this morning along I-55 caused some headaches for drivers. Emergency crews responded around 8:30 near I-55 and Lindbergh in Jefferson County.

KMOV-TV reports a truck hauling a trailer ran off the road and overturned in a ditch. Another vehicle then came to rest on its side. All northbound lanes of I-55 were completely shut down. One person suffered minor injuries.