When a child goes missing, regardless of the age, it's a parent's worst nightmare come true. Sometimes, foul play is involved and the result is tragic. Other times, a tween or teen will voluntarily disappear for a few days but then return home unscathed after caregivers report them to the police as missing. This is the best-case scenario.
Thankfully, in the recent case of a missing 12-year-old boy from Ohio, he was located safe and returned to his family. Where the boy was found, however, is making headlines. The runaway tween reportedly spent the night at a Target store, and employees discovered him the following morning.
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Target employees discovered the 12-year-old on March 11.
At roughly 6:15 a.m. March 11, an employee at a Target on the east side of Columbus, Ohio, called police, NBC News reported. The worker reported a boy unaccompanied by caregivers at the store. Although the boy was initially thought to be much younger, it was soon revealed he was 12.
His parents had reported him missing one day prior.
Scott Varner, a spokesperson for Franklin County Children Services, said the boy's parents reported him missing on March 10, WCMH reported. "This was a runaway situation," Varner noted via email. According to police, the tween spent the night at the Target.
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Target officials released a statement.
In the statement, they offered more details regarding the incident. Employees at the store near Reynoldsburg "immediately contacted law enforcement upon finding this child and cared for him until authorities arrived," it read. "The well-being of our guests is our top priority."
The boy has since been safely reunited with his family.
Jennifer Watson, a spokesperson for the Columbus Police Department, offered an update on the boy. “The child’s parents are happy that he is safe and that he will be returning home shortly," she shared on March 11, per NBC News. Varner confirmed the tween and his parents were reunited on Monday afternoon.
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No charges will be filed.
As traumatizing as the situation likely was — both for the 12-year-old and his family — there is a bit of good news. No charges will be filed, according to the Columbus Police Department. Thankfully, this missing person's case had a happy ending all around.
