Menifee Autistic Boy: Massive Search Sparked for Missing 11-Year-Old (VIDEO, PHOTO)
A Menifee autistic boy has gone missing in Riverside County, sparking a frantic search for the 11 year old.
The young boy, Terry Dewayne Smith, went missing on Saturday night, and was last seen at his home in the 33000 block of Helen Lane.
Riverside County Sheriff's Deputy Albert Martinez has reported, "The child is autistic. He does have the mental capacity of a 7-year-old."
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Dozens of officials and locals have helped conduct the widespread search for the boy, but as of yet he is still missing.
"I have an autistic son as well. It would be devastating to have my son be missing, and I would want to go out and try to find him and have the help as well," Jackie Romney, a volunteer searcher, has said according to ABC News.
There are fears for the boy's safety the longer he is missing, and dehydration has also been highlighted as a big potential problem if they do not find him soon.
Smith was last seen in his home on Saturday night as he went to bed. However, on Sunday morning he was missing.
The area around the home is filled with bushes, trees, as well as steep and rough terrain, and that has posed significant challenges for searchers.
Martinez has said, "If you look at the properties there's a lot of acreage and a lot of big properties, so we do have to go and search through those properties, which makes it kind of difficult also because of the terrain."
The boy also responds to the name "JuJu," and is described as having blond-sandy hair and brown eyes. He is 4 feet 8 inches tall and weighs 76 pounds. The last time he was seen he was wearing blue basketball shorts.
There is nothing to suggest at this stage that any foul play took part in the boy's disappearance.
Anyone with information was asked to contact the Riverside County Sheriff's Department at (951) 776-1099.
