A 5-year-old Oregon boy whose mother said he vanished over the weekend while she was taking a nap has been found dead, authorities said Tuesday evening.
The Coos County Sheriff's Office said the body of Joshua James McCoy was found Tuesday afternoon less than 2 miles from his home in Hauser, an unincorporated community that runs along Route 101 in Oregon. No other details were immediately released.
Joshua, who officials said had autism and went by Josh or Joshie, was reported missing after sundown Saturday. His mom told officers that she and her son had both fallen asleep Saturday afternoon and that when she woke up at 5:30 p.m., Joshua was gone, according to the sheriff’s office, which did not identify his mother by name.
Children on the autism spectrum tend to wander, or elope, from home and other safe places at a higher rate than their peers, according to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. The child protection organization says children with autism may be drawn to dangerous environments such as bodies of water, construction sites, highways and train tracks.
In a statement Tuesday evening, a sheriff’s spokesman, Sgt. Christopher Gill, said that "it is with immense sadness that we have to report that missing Joshua McCoy has been found deceased."
Gill said that as part of the search, a "pond on the property was drained and nothing of interest was located."
The sheriff’s office said in an update Monday evening on Facebook that teams had been searching for Joshua using drones and K-9 units, among other resources. It also said it had requested additional assistance from state and federal agencies.
Authorities did not answer questions Tuesday evening about whether any charges were possible.
"The investigation is still ongoing," Gill said in an email.
