A 7-year-old boy named Joshua Al-Lateef Jr. has gone missing in West Chester, a township in Butler County, Ohio. The boy has autism and has been missing since Wednesday evening. Police are rigorously searching for the boy and seeking help from the town.
According to West Chester Township Government, Joshua went missing at about 5:30 p.m. He got off the school bus on Wednesday afternoon and was with her parents. After his parents left him with his adult sibling, he went missing. His home is on Wyndtree Drive and per his parents, it is unusual for him to wander off alone.
Joshua is about four feet tall and weighs 44 pounds. He is non-verbal and may not respond to his name. He was wearing a tan shirt and pants with a jacket and black New Balance shoes. Police have said that Joshua likes water and parks.
For more than five hours, search and rescue efforts were carried out at his apartment complex. They further began searching throughout the northwest parts of the town. Authorities say that Joshua may have also traveled to nearby townships.
West Chester Police, Butler County Sheriff's Office officials, EMS, and fire department personnel are responding to the search efforts. Captain Hagaman has also asked town members to check their garages and under their decks as Joshua might be looking for someplace warm. Emergency teams also looked for him around the nearby pounds.
Authorities are also searching for the child with drones and K9s.
The fire officials are re-canvasing nearby areas where Joshua went missing. Several groups were formed to carry out the search. Several agencies, including Texas Equuseaarch, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Buckeye SAR, and more are also assisting in the search along with 300 local community volunteers.
Netizens actively help police search for Joshua Al-Lateef Jr.
Netizens are widely reacting to posts about Joshua Al-Lateef Jr. and are also sharing how they are participating in the search. A Facebook user wrote,
"I am a mom of 5 searching the streets in west Chester right now. One of my children is severely autistic. I’m not going home until the sun comes up. I have no peace for this family."
Another one penned,
Trending
"Just got here. Tons of community members out searching. Janitor at the school said they searched all over inside the school. Police have drones out. Lots of people on foot. I would want the whole community helping to find my baby."
With the help of social media, several people are also stepping out of their houses and contributing to searching for Joshua. More details about the 7-year-old are awaited.
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