A young boy with autism, who had gone missing from a restaurant in Queens, has successfully been reunited with his mother after being located in Manhattan. The seven-year-old, who is nonverbal, disappeared from Dera Restaurant in Jackson Heights late Friday morning. The incident occurred while his mother momentarily attended to washing her hands. Upon realizing his absence, she promptly alerted authorities.
The search for the boy swiftly commenced across the borough. In an unexpected turn of events, he managed to reach Manhattan, where a concerned passerby noticed him running into traffic on East 61st Street. Demonstrating quick thinking, the woman pursued and caught up with him, ensuring his safety before contacting emergency services.
Officers responding to the scene, who had been briefed on the situation earlier, recognized the child and facilitated the reunion with his mother. Although the precise manner in which the boy traveled from Queens to Manhattan remains unclear, his mother mentioned that he possesses a keen fascination with New York City’s landmarks.