Joshua McCoy missing Oregon boy with autism found dead after wandering from home while mom napped as parent could still face criminal charges.
A 5-year-old autistic Oregon boy who vanished over the weekend while his mom napped was found dead Tuesday, authorities said.
The body of Joshua James McCoy was found Tuesday afternoon less than 2 miles from his home in Hauser, an unincorporated community that runs along Route 101 in Oregon, the Coos County Sheriff’s Office said in a release.
Joshua was reported missing after sundown Saturday. His mom told officers that she and her son had both fallen asleep Saturday afternoon and that when she woke up at 5:30 p.m., Joshua was gone, according to the sheriff’s office, which did not identify his mother by name.
Autistic 5 year old boy’s mother could still face criminal charges
Children on the autism spectrum tend to wander, or elope, from home and other safe places at a higher rate than their peers, according to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. The child protection organization says children with autism may be drawn to dangerous environments such as bodies of water, construction sites, highways and train tracks.
In a statement Tuesday evening, sheriff’s spokesman, Sgt. Christopher Gill, said that ‘it is with immense sadness that we have to report that missing Joshua McCoy has been found deceased.’
Gill said that as part of the search, a ‘pond on the property was drained and nothing of interest was located.’
The sheriff’s office said in an update Monday evening on Facebook that teams had been searching for Joshua using drones and K-9 units, among other resources. It also said it had requested additional assistance from state and federal agencies.
Joshua, whose sixth birthday would have been on Saturday, was described by authorities as 3 feet, 6 inches tall and 50 to 60 pounds, with brown eyes and brown shoulder-length hair.
Authorities did not answer questions Tuesday evening about whether any charges were forthcoming.
Authorities continue to investigate.
