A 5-year-old boy slipped out of the Imagination Station daycare center unnoticed Tuesday afternoon, crossed two busy streets and wandered to a restaurant on the Interstate 35 Service Road in 100-degree heat.

Employees of Hooters found the child safe about 5:20 p.m. He left the daycare center in the 2300 block of San Jacinto Boulevard, crossed the Interstate 35 northbound service road and Dallas Drive, bought himself a soft drink at a service station and walked to Hooters, where an employee found him in the parking lot and called police.

Deborah Pugh, who owns the daycare business, said Wednesday that the boy asked to go to the bathroom and then slipped out a fire exit door, which must, by law, remain unlocked.

“It was just really fast,” Pugh said. “When the parent came for him we said he was in the bathroom. But we looked and realized he wasn’t, and we called police.”

Denton Police spokesman Jim Bryan said someone from the daycare center called 911 at 5:04 p.m., saying the child was missing. Officers searched the immediate vicinity and could not find the boy.

“At 5:20 p.m., while the officer was on the scene at the daycare, the assistant manager of Hooters called police,” Bryan said. “He said they had found a boy wandering in the parking lot.”

The officer responded to Hooters and brought the boy back to the Imagination Station, where he was released to his father, Bryan said.

“He was unharmed and in good condition,” the officer said.

According to the National Weather Service, the temperature was 100 degrees at 5 p.m.

A spokesman at Hooters said employees were not allowed to talk to the press.

Bryan said Denton police are investigating the incident. The daycare licensing division of Children’s Protective Services is investigating as well, he said.

State records show that in April, Imagination Station was cited for violation of Section 746.1230(4) of the Child Care Standards and Regulations – Responsibilities of caregivers - supervision of children.

“It was determined that staff were not supervising properly. Two children were found involved in inappropriate contact while the caregivers were engaged in activities with other groups of children,” according to the citation posted on the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services Web site.

Daycare centers with few violations are considered “Plan 3,” according to information provided by the licensing agency. Centers considered “Plan 2” are inspected twice a year. Imagination Station is considered a “Plan 1” center with required inspections four times a year. Since January, inspectors have visited the center once a month, according to the agency Web site.

DONNA FIELDER can be reached at 940-566-6885. Her e-mail address is dfielder@dentonrc.com.