Missing 4-Year-Old Boy with Autism Found Dead After He Disappeared While Playing at Boston Park
The body of Mohamed Abou Fofana was found on Monday, less than a day after he went missing while playing at a park, prompting a multi-agency search
Authorities have recovered the body of Mohamed Abou Fofana, a 4-year-old boy who went missing in a Boston park on Sunday evening.
The boy was found dead along the shoreline of Castle Island, Massachusetts State Police said in a statement Monday afternoon. The location was more than a mile away from the park where he was reported missing approximately 17 hours earlier, reported ABC affiliate WCVB-TV.
His disappearance prompted a massive search involving the Massachusetts State Police (MSP), Boston Police, Massachusetts Environmental Police, Boston Fire and Boston EMS.
Authorities were focused on a stretch of water between Dorchester Bay and the Boston Main Channel, MSP said in a news conference shortly before the boy's body was found, according to NBC Boston.
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The young boy, who had autism and was non-verbal, was described as being high-energy and prone to wandering off, Mohamed's mother, Matenjay Fofana, told the news station earlier in the day on Monday.
He was playing at the park, which is adjacent to the shoreline, with his 7-year-old sister and his grandfather around 7 p.m. his mother said. Then, the grandfather lost sight of the boy, per the outlet.
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"He called me, 'I see your daughter but I'm not seeing Mohamed,'" she told the outlet.
"If people see Mohamed, please, please give him to police people or call 911, please," she added in an emotional plea.
Related:Missing Boy, 8, Survived for 2 Days in Mich. Park by Eating Snow, Using Leaves for Warmth: Police
An investigation into the boy's death is ongoing. According to NBC News, state police said "no potential reasons" for his disappearance "have been ruled out at this time."
"Our detective unit for Suffolk County will conduct the follow up death investigation," MSP tweeted. "We express our deepest condolences to his family."
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