A six-year-old boy with autism, Johnathan Skattebo, who had been reported missing in Madison Heights on Sunday afternoon, was found safe later that night. According to Click on Detroit, Johnathan was last seen around 3:30 p.m. on Feb. 1, near the 28000 block of Hales Street. The boy reportedly wandered into a nearby unlocked home, where he was discovered by the returning homeowners late Sunday night, taking a shower.
The Madison Heights Police Department and the community mounted an extensive search, aided by a Ring doorbell camera which captured Johnathan walking west on Jenifer Avenue toward Park Court, CBS Detroit reported. Authorities canceled the community-led search close to midnight to allow K-9 units to canvass the area. The boy, believed to have been wearing a blue and black winter coat and boots upon his disappearance, was found unharmed and is now back with his parents.
"There was a massive amount of concern," Madison Heights Police Chief Brent LeMerise said in a statement obtained by FOX 2 Detroit. The intensive search for Johnathan lasted nearly eight hours before he was discovered in the neighbor's house, only a few blocks from his own home. Residents in the area had received a local emergency alert and were on the lookout for the missing child throughout the evening.
Johnathan’s discovery was a relief, as missing-child cases can quickly become dangerous. The unlocked home where he was found raised questions about security, but sheltered him. He was taken to the hospital for a checkup to ensure his well-being.
