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Police seek autistic boy, 5, who left New Year's party without coat or shoes Police seek autistic boy, 5, who left New Year's party without coat or shoes
(about 1 hour later)
Police on Saturday recanvassed an eastern Pennsylvania neighborhood where a five-year-old boy with autism wandered away from a New Year’s Eve party without shoes or a coat.Police on Saturday recanvassed an eastern Pennsylvania neighborhood where a five-year-old boy with autism wandered away from a New Year’s Eve party without shoes or a coat.
Allentown police captain Glen Dorney said 20 search-and-rescue dog teams were looking for Jayliel Vega Batista. Divers and a coroner were called to a canal on Saturday afternoon, the (Allentown) Morning Call reported, after a searcher found a tablet computer similar to one Jayliel Vega Batista may have been carrying.
The newspaper said police had declined to comment on the find, though they summoned divers to Canal Park shortly after 25-year-old Thurman Clark told the newspaper he found the tablet.
Allentown police and the Lehigh County coroner’s office did not immediately return calls on Saturday afternoon.
Allentown police captain Glen Dorney said 20 search-and-rescue dog teams were looking for Jayliel.
The boy was downstairs playing with a toy with some other children when he left the home at about 10.30pm on Thursday, said his 16-year-old sister, Tayritza Molina. Jayliel was visiting his great-aunt’s home for the holiday, police said.The boy was downstairs playing with a toy with some other children when he left the home at about 10.30pm on Thursday, said his 16-year-old sister, Tayritza Molina. Jayliel was visiting his great-aunt’s home for the holiday, police said.
Police were going door to door in the boy’s neighborhood again on Saturday because efforts to track him into some nearby woods were unsuccessful. But they said a glut of volunteer searchers was complicating efforts to find the boy. Police went door to door in the boy’s neighborhood again on Saturday because efforts to track him into some nearby woods were unsuccessful. But they said a glut of volunteer searchers was complicating efforts to find the boy.
“We’re proud of them for stepping up in the force that they’ve done,” Dorney said, but there were so many volunteers in the woods and elsewhere, it was compromising the ability of the dogs and others to locate the boy.“We’re proud of them for stepping up in the force that they’ve done,” Dorney said, but there were so many volunteers in the woods and elsewhere, it was compromising the ability of the dogs and others to locate the boy.
Instead, police asked people who live in the area to thoroughly search their own property and parked cars periodically, in case the boy comes wandering in search of shelter. Police checked out a home at about 2.30am Saturday after someone thought they saw the boy’s face in an upstairs window but said the boy wasn’t there. Instead, police asked people who live in the area to thoroughly search their own property and parked cars periodically, in case the boy came wandering in search of shelter. Police checked out a home at about 2.30am on Saturday after someone thought they saw the boy’s face in an upstairs window but said the boy wasn’t there.
Police hoped to use helicopters again to search for the boy on Saturday, but Dorney said the aircraft were tied up on another matter. The helicopters are equipped with night-vision devices that also enable searchers to detect body warmth.Police hoped to use helicopters again to search for the boy on Saturday, but Dorney said the aircraft were tied up on another matter. The helicopters are equipped with night-vision devices that also enable searchers to detect body warmth.
Crews also searched some nearby railyards and the Lehigh River. They were concerned because temperatures were near freezing overnight and forecast to hit only the high 30s on Saturday. Crews also searched railyards and the Lehigh River. They were concerned because temperatures were near freezing overnight and forecast to hit only the high 30sF on Saturday.