A 5-year-old boy who went missing from his family’s house in Oregon late last week has been found dead, according to local police.
“It is with immense sadness that we have to report that missing Joshua McCoy has been found deceased,” the Coos County Sheriff’s Office posted in a news release Tuesday.
Joshua, who has autism, was last seen at his house in Hauser, an unincorporated village on the Pacific Ocean about 200 miles southwest of Portland, on Saturday evening, November 9, according to a missing person notice.
According to officials, the youngster and his mother took a nap around 1 p.m., and when the boy’s mother awoke at 5:30 p.m., she reported her son missing.
Investigators found the boy’s body Tuesday around 12:30 p.m. local time, less than two kilometers from his house.
As of Thursday, no arrests have been made in connection with the boy’s death, sheriff’s office Sgt. Christopher W. Gill told USA TODAY.
“All avenues are being explored and the investigation is ongoing,” Gill said.
Joshua McCoy found dead, cause of death not immediately known
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Prior to the boy’s body being found, a pond at the residence “was drained and nothing of interest was found,” according to officials.
First responders discovered Joshua had a smartphone after 6:45 p.m. on Saturday, the day he vanished, but a phone-ping “did not provide any fruitful information,” according to the sheriff’s office.
During the nearly four-day search for the youngster, police dogs, local fire departments, community volunteers, and residents from numerous other counties in Oregon and California combed a broad area around the house.
Sheriff’s office: Investigation into Joshua McCoy’s death ongoing
It was not immediately clear how the boy died.
The Oregon State Medical Examiners Office performed an autopsy on the kid, Gill said. His official cause and manner of death were pending as of Thursday.
“Any further information will be released when it becomes available,” Gill said.
Dangers of ‘elopement’
According to the National Autism Association, nonverbal children have a tendency to roam. In a behavior known as “elopement,” children with autism may attempt to leave the safety of a responsible person’s care or a safe environment.
According to research, some people with autism elope because they are overwhelmed by sensory input, such as being too loud or too bright, but the most prevalent trigger is a desire to get closer to an object that piques their interest.
The group uncovered more than 800 elopement cases between 2011 and 2016, roughly a third of which were deadly or necessitated medical assistance for the child, while another 38% featured a close encounter with water, traffic, or another life-threatening event.