A runaway teen in Oklahoma is making his community scratch their heads in confusion after being found. The teen told police that during his time away from home, he found refuge in his local Walmart. And while he was there, he took advantage of the surplus of toilet paper, using it to make himself a fort.
Runaway teen cases often end in tragedy, and while this one certainly did not, police still have a lot of questions about what actually happened. Maybe now they’ll begin checking Walmart stores first.
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Christopher Dunham, 16, from Grove, Oklahoma, went missing from his grandparents’ home on Sunday, February 2, 2025, the Grove Police Department shared. According to the police, he had a blanket with him the last time he was seen.
On February 4, Grove Police showed up at the home of the runaway teen to speak with his grandparents. But when they got there, the situation only became more complicated.
According to a report from KFOR, police had also showed up at the home earlier the same day with a child welfare worker in tow, and were turned away. So the police returned that evening, serving the grandparents with a search warrant. Still, they resisted, forcing police to negotiate their way into the home. In addition to the home, police also searched vehicles on the property.
Neighbors, who declined to be identified, spoke with the news outlet, saying they had confronted the grandparents about their treatment of the boy previously. One neighbor claimed the grandparents locked the runaway teen out of their home when it was “pouring rain outside and cold.”
“He was outside crying and begging to be let back inside,” the neighbor said. “We heard his crying and her yelling at him to shut up.” They say he was eventually let back into the home.
The neighbor also shared that the grandmother admitted Dunham was “troubled, and they didn’t know how to handle him.”
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Shortly after the last police officer left the home, the runaway teen tried to sneak back into the house. Grove Police Chief Mark Morris, told KSFN16 the boy may have been watching the house while it was being searched.
After his return, the grandfather brought the boy to the Grove Police Department.
“He spent one night at Honey Creek State Park and the other nights inside Walmart,” Morris explained. According to the police chief, Dunham told him he stayed in the toilet paper aisle where he built a fort to hide in. The teen also allegedly slept in a dog bed during his time at the store.
Morris told the news station that the boy had frostbite on his toes. It’s unknown if that’s related to running away. He is also set to meet with a Department of Human Services worker this week.
“This is one of the most bizarre cases in my law enforcement career,” Morris shared.
If you suspect child abuse, you can call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 (1-800-4-A-Child), or go to Childhelp.org. The hotline is available 24/7.
