A teenage autistic boy who recently went missing from his Arizona home was found safe and sound approximately 200 miles away after wandering in a supermarket. The New Mexico State Police shared a photo of the unidentified boy, confirming his safe discovery at Walmart in Deming on Tuesday, February 27, 2024.
The photograph depicted the boy on an ambulance stretcher, with a description noting his height at 5 feet 9 inches and weight at 230 pounds. The New Mexico State Police later specified that the teen was “non-verbal” and had no identification on his person.
Responding to the situation, an individual replied within seven minutes of the post. They revealed that the Tucson Police Department was searching for someone resembling the boy. The boy in question was 13-year-old Marcus Tessier.
Remarkably, he managed to cover a distance of 200 miles from his home without being able to communicate verbally. Tessier’s brother, Mikel Desmond, narrated the occurrence to the local news channel KRQE.
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He said, “My mom woke up, and he was no longer in the house. The front door was unlocked, and he was just gone.” The family contacted the police, actively searched nearby areas, and created a missing person flyer, which they shared online.
Desmond noted that he was losing hope of finding his brother as time passed. Moreover, he emphasized that even if someone gave his brother the phone to call home, he wouldn’t be able to. This is due to his inability to communicate verbally.
Later on Tuesday evening, Desmond got a call from New Mexico detailing his brother’s whereabouts. The Associated Press revealed that he and his mother went on a three-hour journey to New Mexico upon receiving the call. Then, the family shared a photo capturing their reunion at the hospital In Deming.
Notably, on receiving the call, Desmond admitted to feeling skeptical. He also stated, “I talked to the officer, I talked to a nurse there, and honestly, they had trouble getting me to believe it.” Furthermore, he explained that the family previously received scam calls falsely claiming to know his brother’s location.
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However, the caller switched to video, allowing Desmond to conform to his brother’s state visually. “Marcus is now back home safely in Tucson,” according to NMSP in a Facebook update. The agency thanked everyone who made the reunion possible by sharing, commenting, and spreading the word.
A similar event happened in 2021 when a Nebraska community mobilized efforts to locate an 11-year-old autistic boy, Ryan Larsen. Larsen went missing from his school on May 12, 2021, according to La Vista police,
Authorities believed he left intentionally, as he attended one class but failed to appear for the subsequent one. La Vista Police Captain Jeremy Kinsey stated, “He is not necessarily verbal with people he’s not comfortable with.”
At that time, authorities could not identify any signs of foul play, given Larsen’s history of running away. Additionally, examinations on Larsen’s computer suggested he had been planning such an event.
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