Current:Home > InvestMissing teen with autism found in New Mexico, about 200 miles away from his Arizona home-InfoLens
Missing teen with autism found in New Mexico, about 200 miles away from his Arizona home
View Date:2024-12-23 10:39:26
DEMING, N.M. (AP) — A missing teen with autism has been found in New Mexico — about 200 miles away from his home in southern Arizona, according to New Mexico State Police.
The 13-year-old turned up at a Walmart in Deming on Tuesday after going missing the night before from his family’s home in Tucson. In hopes of identifying the young man, authorities in New Mexico posted a picture on social media seeking the public’s help.
New Mexico State Police said that within minutes, someone recognized the teen from an earlier post by the Tucson Police Department. They confirmed Wednesday that the teen had been reunited with his family and was safely back at home.
“Thanks to everyone who helped make this possible by sharing, commenting, and spreading the word,” New Mexico State Police said in a social media post.
The family shared their gratitude for police and the community on social media. They have no idea how the teen was able to get to Deming.
“My mom woke up, and he was no longer in the house. The front door was unlocked, and he was just gone,” the boy’s brother, Mikel Desmond, told Albuquerque television station KRQE.
The family contacted police, searched nearby areas and created a missing person flyer that they shared online. As the hours passed, Desmond said he started to lose hope of finding his brother. He said even if someone would have given the teen a phone and told him to call home, he wouldn’t be able to because he can’t communicate verbally.
It was Tuesday evening when the family got the call from authorities in New Mexico after the boy had been checked out at a local hospital.
Desmond said his brother had turned up at the Walmart, where he tried to buy food and drinks but didn’t have any money. The teen then reportedly went to hide in the bathroom and was later found by law enforcement.
“It’s amazing how fast news can spread through social media,” Desmond said. “And we never would have thought that we would have had so many people reach out and ask ways they can help.”
The family drove three hours each way to pick up the boy and bring him home.
Tucson police said they are investigating the boy’s travels.
veryGood! (81696)
Related
- What Republicans are saying about Matt Gaetz’s nomination for attorney general
- FBI, Justice Department investigating racist mass texts sent following the election
- Cowboys QB Dak Prescott plans to undergo season-ending surgery, according to reports
- Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez wins reelection in Washington’s closely watched 3rd District
- Jimmy Kimmel, more late-night hosts 'shocked' by Trump Cabinet picks: 'Goblins and weirdos'
- James Van Der Beek 'went into shock' over stage 3 colorectal cancer diagnosis
- Boys who survived mass shooting, father believed dead in California boating accident
- Zach Bryan Hits the Road After Ex Brianna Chickenfry LaPaglia's Emotional Abuse Allegations
- Justice Department says jail conditions in Georgia’s Fulton County violate detainee rights
- Flight carrying No. 11 Auburn basketball team grounded after scuffle between players
Ranking
- Louisiana mom arrested for making false kidnapping report after 'disagreement' with son
- Board approves Arkansas site for planned 3,000-inmate prison despite objections
- Parked vehicle with gas cylinders explodes on NYC street, damaging homes and cars, officials say
- Bobby Allison, NASCAR Hall of Famer and 3-time Daytona 500 winner, dies at 86
- Powerball winning numbers for November 11 drawing: Jackpot hits $103 million
- 'Like herding cats': Llamas on the loose in Utah were last seen roaming train tracks
- Dr. Phil Alum Bhad Bhabie Says She's Taking Cancer Medicine Amid Recent Weight Loss
- Rare Sephora Deals on Beauty Devices That Never Go On Sale: Dyson Airwrap, NuFace & More
Recommendation
-
New Yorkers vent their feelings over the election and the Knicks via subway tunnel sticky notes
-
'My husband was dying right in front of me': Groom suffers brain injury in honeymoon fall
-
Slower winds aid firefighters battling destructive blaze in California
-
Retired research chimps to be moved from New Mexico to a Louisiana sanctuary
-
Stock market today: Asian shares mostly decline, shrugging off Wall Street’s overnight rally
-
ATTN: Land’s End Just Revealed Their Christmas Sale—Score up to 60% off Everything (Yes We Mean It)
-
Pretty Little Liars' Brant Daugherty Reveals Which NSFW Movie He Hopes His Kids Don't See
-
Republican Don Bacon wins fifth term to US House representing Nebraska’s Omaha-based district