WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah -- West Valley City police have located the family of a 9-year-old boy who was found riding his bike along I-215 Friday night.
Authorities said a business owner in Salt Lake City called them Saturday evening after recognizing the boy’s face on the news. Sgt. Trudy Cropper, West Valley City police, said the boy’s mother had visited the business Friday asking if anyone had seen her son.
The child was taken to the Christmas Box House, an emergency shelter in South Salt Lake. He is currently in the custody of the Utah Division of Child and Family Services.
Elizabeth Sollis of the Utah Division of Human Services said: “When something like this does present itself to us, we want to try to figure out what’s happening. How did this child get out in the middle of the night? Why are they alone? What’s the reason they’re not able to communicate?"
Sollis could not comment on the boy’s case, but said Saturday a judge typically determines if a child should be released back into the custody of their family.
The search for the boy’s family began when a driver saw the boy at around 11:30 p.m. Friday and took him to a 7-Eleven before flagging down a police officer.
West Valley City police said the boy looked “unkempt,” but was otherwise in good condition. They said they drove the boy around to try to find his home, but he could only tell them he was from that area. Cropper said the child has a speech impediment, which prevented him from communicating the information.
