Boy, 8, spent 10 days with dead mother

An 8-year-old boy lived for more than a week with the body of his dead mother before anyone discovered his situation.

The woman, 41, apparently died on Jan. 9 in their apartment in the Detroit suburb of Romulus, and the boy survived in part by eating dried rice, butter and flour.

The boy came into Romulus Liquor in recent days wearing pyjama bottoms and buying snacks, store owner Sam Saco said. Saco said his brother Lee, the store's co-owner, became suspicious on Monday when the boy tried to buy soda, flour and doughnuts with his mother's expired credit card.

Lee Saco asked to talk to the boy's mother and the boy replied, "My mom's in a better place right now." He also said, "I tried to wake her up every day. I wanted to talk to her," Sam Saco said.

The boy was home-schooled, has no siblings and his father died several years ago, authorities said. The two had moved to Michigan from Louisiana after surviving Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Police did not release the names of the mother and child. Foul play was not suspected in the woman's death. The child is in foster care while police try to locate his other relatives.

With news video.