The search for a missing 11-year-old autistic boy continued Monday in Menifee, Calif., as police worried about how the child would fare in the triple-digit heat.
Terry Dewayne Smith was last seen Saturday around 7:30 p.m. His mother had left him with his older stepbrother when she went out to play pool with friends.
But when she later went to her son's room to give him his medication around 10:30 a.m. Sunday, he was gone.
Editor's Note: Do You Support Obamacare? Vote in Urgent National Poll
Smith has high-functioning autism, neighbors said, and police worried that he may not respond to strangers' calls for him.
The sheriff's department launched its search Sunday morning with bloodhounds, helicopters, and troops on horseback, and was joined Monday by a group of volunteers.
Tuesday's forecast called for a high of 102 degrees, according to the National Weather Service, and officials were concerned about Smith staying hydrated.
"It's going to be in the hundred-degree range today, and we need to get the boy found,"
Lt. Charlie Wilhite, of the Riverside County Sheriff's Department, told NBC Los Angeles. "Those are very rugged foothills up there. There are a lot of rocks and areas not accessible by vehicle. There are a lot of areas where you might not see somebody unless you were right on top of them."
Editor's Note: Get the Navy SEALs Cap – Celebrate Our Heroes
Sheriff's deputy Albert Martinez
told the Press-Enterprise that there was no evidence of a kidnapping but that "we're not ruling anything out."
Smith, who is 4-foot-8 with blond hair and blue eyes, was last seen wearing blue basketball shorts.
Related stories:
Boy Missing From Indiana Since 1994 Found Living Under Alias in Minnesota
3 Missing Women Found at Ohio Home, 3 Brothers Arrested
Levon Wameling's Dad Reported Baby Missing Two Weeks After Disappearance
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.