MENTOR-ON-THE-LAKE, Ohio — A terrifying ordeal for a Lake County father. He thought his 4-year-old had been picked up and taken to daycare by the child’s mother on Friday. But his son had wandered off alone.
A resident living on Primrose Drive called 911 to report “a small child running down the middle of the street without clothes on.” The caller told police, “We’ve wrangled the kid, but we don’t know where he belongs.”
It was a scary encounter for the neighbors who found that little boy, and the police who had to figure out where he belonged. Body camera video shows the officers trying to keep things light and the child entertained. They suspected he was nonverbal and knew just who might be able to help.
“We need to see if Tina recognizes this kid,” one officer said in body camera video provided by police.
He was referring to Mentor-on-the-Lake Police Lt. Tina Messinger.
“I am a special needs parent myself,” she told News 5. “My daughter has autism, and living in the community, I wanted to take the steps to just have anything extra that we can do to keep our kids safe.”
She started the police department’s Autism Registry for children with special needs. It allows parents to share information about their special needs child with the police, in case a situation like this ever happens.
Eventually, the child’s father woke up after a late night of work. He realized his son was not at daycare like he thought.
“The child had climbed over a baby gate and actually had exited the doors, that were locked,” Messinger said.
He called 911, frantic, confirming his missing son was nonverbal and on the autism spectrum. The dispatcher told the dad his son was safe at the police station. On the 911 call, you hear the father get choked up.
The 4-year-old was not on the autism registry. Lt. Messinger told News 5 that it would have helped reunite this family sooner.
It includes basic information, medical needs, emergency contacts, and other details that help police, such as where a child might like to hide, how to calm them down, and what behaviors they exhibit when they’re happy or upset.
“Being a parent is hard, you know?” she said. “We work, we have other things going on. I mean, it only takes a second.”
She said she’s glad this story has a happy ending. Dad was so overcome when he learned his child was safe, he told the dispatcher: “Ok, love you. Thank you, I’m so sorry.”
She laughed then, assuring him, “That’s ok. I get it. I got it.”
If you think the Mentor-on-the-Lake Autism Registry would benefit your family, you can find it here. Click the dropdown menu for “Police” and select the Autism Registry form.
