Missing boy found after two hours

Police located an autistic child almost seven miles from his house Tuesday evening after being reported missing earlier in the day while riding his bike in his Huntington Beach neighborhood, officials said.

A resident found the 11-year-old autistic boy riding his silver BMX bike more than two hours after he was reported missing and police has issued an emergency alert, said Lt. Russell Reinhart.

The boy went missing from his home in the 20700 block of Hopetown Lane near Magnolia Street and Atlanta Avenue about 4:14 p.m. He was last seen riding his bike.

Family, friends, officers and the police helicopter responded to the call and officials issued a missing child message on AlertOC, an emergency notification system, when he wasn’t found.

A resident spotted the boy at 6:45 p.m. near Springdale Street and Slater Avenue, a 6.5 miles journey from his neighborhood, and called the police.

The boy was safely returned to his parents, Reinhart said.

Britney Barnes