MIAMI (WSVN) - The adoptive father of a teen stranded in Miami Gardens said the boy is not telling the truth, and he ran away from home.
According to Miami Beach Police, the 14-year-old boy said he had not seen his parents and was sleeping outside for days at the Douglas Pointe Apartments.
“When I checked him out from head to toe, I noticed that his shirt was a little bit dirty or whatnot,” said Alexandra Gonzalez, who helped the boy she thought was homeless. “So I put one and one together. I saw that nobody was answering his calls so I got worried…”
However, according to the boy’s adoptive father, Dr. Kevin Williams, the boy wasn’t telling the truth. “He gave out fictitious information,” said Williams. “Of course, I understand, as an adult, she’s assuming he’s telling her the truth, but none of it was true.”
Williams said on Monday he received a call from teachers regarding his son’s misbehavior at school. His son never returned home on Monday evening, so Williams filed a missing person’s report.
Williams added that the boy also failed to contact him. “The phone number he was calling — he’s done this before to other people,” he said. “He would give them a number that isn’t the number. He knows his birth date, his address, his phone number, my job phone number. He’s always going to school as an elementary student where I was the principal at.”
Williams said while he’s glad they found his adoptive son, the information does not represent him.
“I wanted him to know that is not a true portrait or painting of who I am,” said Williams. “I’m grateful that they found him, fed him, but at the same time, as a parent of five kids, I would say that if anybody’s kid came to my house besides doing those components, before I take this kid somewhere, I’m going to call the police department of that municipality because I know that if this kid’s in this area, how would he get from Miami Beach to Miami Gardens?”
The 14-year-old is in the care of the Department of Children and Families.
A dependency hearing is expected to be held by a judge on Thursday.
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