McKeesport, a community reeling from a heartbreak, found its search for a missing boy with autism come to a tragic end yesterday afternoon. Five-year-old Malik Patterson, who had disappeared earlier in the day, was found dead in McKeesport. As reported by WPXI, officials had been looking for Malik after he reportedly left the Harrison Village area around 10 a.m. The boy's body was later discovered in a river that afternoon.
McKeesport Police Chief Jojh Alfer released a brief statement in the wake of this tragic event: "Our prayers are with the family of the young boy who lost his life today." Information about the circumstances leading to Malik's disappearance and subsequent death has not been widely disclosed. Jasmine Stevens, a resident, stated, per WPXI, "I’m devastated, my children play around here a lot. Waking up here this morning, seeing all the police and everything, that’s something I don’t want to wake up to."
According to CBS News Pittsburgh, the Allegheny County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed the death of Malik Patterson, which was reported just before 3 p.m. near Water Street in McKeesport. At this moment, no details have been provided regarding the cause of death.
