DAVENPORT, Fla. (WSVN) — A community’s collective efforts led to a heartwarming outcome as a 3-year-old boy with autism, who had gone missing earlier in the day, was found safe and sound.
On Tuesday, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office issued an urgent plea for assistance in locating Thomas, the young boy who had managed to slip out of his house in the early morning hours.
As news of the missing child spread throughout the community, the Davenport neighborhood was soon abuzz with concerned residents, including Minchala.
“I heard a lot of helicopters going around,” Minchala recounted.
Alongside the sheriff’s deputies, she was alerted to the situation through her phone.
“It said that someone was missing,” she noted.
Thomas had been visiting the neighborhood with his family. When Minchala learned about the disappearance, she took it upon herself to search for the young boy, checking various spots around her home.
“Let me go check under the car, around, cause I have a little bench outside so I thought maybe that little kid [is there]. I checked my Ring camera and there was nothing there.” Minchala explained.
As the search continued, a breakthrough came when Minchala’s neighbor reported spotting a child in his swing. Rushing to the scene, Minchala was overjoyed to find Thomas safe and sleeping.
“I was telling him, ‘Baby, baby wake up, wake up,’ because I didn’t know if he was OK,” she recalled, the relief palpable in her voice.
Her quick thinking led to a heartwarming reunion between the toddler and his parents.
Minchala’s call to 911 brought deputies and the boy’s parents to the location. The child’s reluctance to let Minchala go revealed the strong bond that had formed during the short time they had been together.
“I’m happy that I found him safe. That we found him safe. Cause it was not just me, it was also my neighbor,” said Minchala.
For Minchala, the experience left her grateful for the opportunity to assist the boy and his family during a distressing time.
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