Posted 3:21 pm Saturday, September 22, 2012
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UPDATE: Body of missing toddler found near marina
UPDATED: Sept. 22, 2012 3:24 p.m.
Rescuers searching for an autistic toddler missing since Friday afternoon located the boy’s body Saturday near a marina some distance away from his home, authorities said.
Smith County Sheriff’s Lt. Larry Wiginton said an autopsy would be ordered, standard protocol for missing person incident.
Family members said Evan Reed, 3, was last seen watching cartoon at his home on Carol Circle, off Texas Highway 155, south of Noonday.
Rescue personnel from numerous fire and law enforcements agencies, some coming from as far as Louisiana, participated in the search.
Smith County Sheriff’s Lt. Larry Wiginton said an autopsy would be ordered, standard protocol for missing person incident.
Family members said Evan Reed, 3, was last seen watching cartoon at his home on Carol Circle, off Texas Highway 155, south of Noonday.
Rescue personnel from numerous fire and law enforcements agencies, some coming from as far as Louisiana, participated in the search.
UPDATED: Sept. 22, 2012 2:36 p.m.
Rescuers searching for an autistic toddler missing since Friday afternoon are responding to a nearby marina where the child was apparently located, authorities said.
Smith County Sheriff's Lt. Larry Wiginton said Saturday that authorities who have been involved in the search were responding to the area.
Family members said Evan Reed, 3, was last seen watching cartoons at his home on Carol Circle, off Texas Highway 155, south of Noonday.
There is no update on the child's condition at this point, but rescue personnel from numerous fire and law enforcements agencies, some coming from as far as Louisiana, are exiting the search area.
Roads leading toward the child's home remain blocked to the public with only essential personnel allowed in the secured area.
Smith County Sheriff's Lt. Larry Wiginton said Saturday that authorities who have been involved in the search were responding to the area.
Family members said Evan Reed, 3, was last seen watching cartoons at his home on Carol Circle, off Texas Highway 155, south of Noonday.
There is no update on the child's condition at this point, but rescue personnel from numerous fire and law enforcements agencies, some coming from as far as Louisiana, are exiting the search area.
Roads leading toward the child's home remain blocked to the public with only essential personnel allowed in the secured area.
By Emily Guevara
eguevara@tylerpaper.com
FLINT — Smith County authorities continued searching Friday night for a 3-year-old autistic boy who went missing from a Lake Palestine home earlier in the day.
eguevara@tylerpaper.com
FLINT — Smith County authorities continued searching Friday night for a 3-year-old autistic boy who went missing from a Lake Palestine home earlier in the day.
Evan Reed went missing about 5 p.m., his mother Tonya Reed, said.
She said he was watching cartoons on the couch when she last saw him. She later called out his name to make sure he was still there, and she got no response.
A sliding door was unlocked, and he may have gone out the back door, she said.
“I want him back,” the 25-year-old said Friday night with tears in her eyes. “He's my world. I can't live without him. No one understands him better than me.”
A Texas Department of Public Safety helicopter helped in the search near Carol Circle and Texas Highway 155 in southwestern Smith County, Lt. Larry Wiginton of the Smith County Sheriff's Office, said.
A K9 unit and a Longview Fire Department dive team also arrived to assist in the search late Friday night.
Evan is described as about 3 feet tall with blonde hair and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing a black shirt with a grey guitar on it and gray shorts, family members said.
His grandmother, Sally Daly, a 48-year-old Tyler nurse, described Evan as a friendly child, who is energetic and is “not scared of anything.” She said he has mild to moderate autism.
Mrs. Daly and her husband live with Evan and his mother in the lake house that belongs to another family member. Evan and his mother were the only two in the house when he went missing, family members said. The others had gone to Brookshire's.
A sliding door was unlocked, and he may have gone out the back door, she said.
“I want him back,” the 25-year-old said Friday night with tears in her eyes. “He's my world. I can't live without him. No one understands him better than me.”
A Texas Department of Public Safety helicopter helped in the search near Carol Circle and Texas Highway 155 in southwestern Smith County, Lt. Larry Wiginton of the Smith County Sheriff's Office, said.
A K9 unit and a Longview Fire Department dive team also arrived to assist in the search late Friday night.
Evan is described as about 3 feet tall with blonde hair and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing a black shirt with a grey guitar on it and gray shorts, family members said.
His grandmother, Sally Daly, a 48-year-old Tyler nurse, described Evan as a friendly child, who is energetic and is “not scared of anything.” She said he has mild to moderate autism.
Mrs. Daly and her husband live with Evan and his mother in the lake house that belongs to another family member. Evan and his mother were the only two in the house when he went missing, family members said. The others had gone to Brookshire's.
Multiple agencies responded, including the Smith County Sheriff's Office, DPS, the game warden as well as Noonday and Flint-Gresham fire departments.
Neighbors in the area also helped when they learned the child was missing.
Jim Zoshak, who lives in the neighborhood, came with his wife and children to help search for about three hours. Zoshak heard the news while at his parents' house in Bullard and returned to his neighborhood to help.
He said he walked a quarter of a mile along the lake looking through rocks in the water. A fire department on the scene let him continue looking as it also searched.
Zoshak was wearing a headlamp and carrying a flashlight Friday night as he searched. His wife and their children also looked in a wooded area nearby.
Bob and Robin Armstrong, who live nearby, said they heard about the missing child when three children came knocking on their door to ask whether they had seen Evan.
They checked with neighbors to verify the story and decided to help search.
They came ready with their flashlights to help, but authorities said they had search parties looking for the child so they returned to their house, Armstrong said.
Neighbors in the area also helped when they learned the child was missing.
Jim Zoshak, who lives in the neighborhood, came with his wife and children to help search for about three hours. Zoshak heard the news while at his parents' house in Bullard and returned to his neighborhood to help.
He said he walked a quarter of a mile along the lake looking through rocks in the water. A fire department on the scene let him continue looking as it also searched.
Zoshak was wearing a headlamp and carrying a flashlight Friday night as he searched. His wife and their children also looked in a wooded area nearby.
Bob and Robin Armstrong, who live nearby, said they heard about the missing child when three children came knocking on their door to ask whether they had seen Evan.
They checked with neighbors to verify the story and decided to help search.
They came ready with their flashlights to help, but authorities said they had search parties looking for the child so they returned to their house, Armstrong said.
Multiple agencies responded, including the Smith County Sheriff's Office, DPS, the game warden as well as Noonday and Flint-Gresham fire departments.
Neighbors in the area also helped when they learned the child was missing.
Jim Zoshak, who lives in the neighborhood, came with his wife and children to help search for about three hours. Zoshak heard the news while at his parents' house in Bullard and returned to his neighborhood to help.
He said he walked a quarter of a mile along the lake looking through rocks in the water. A fire department on the scene let him continue looking as it also searched.
Zoshak was wearing a headlamp and carrying a flashlight Friday night as he searched. His wife and their children also looked in a wooded area nearby.
Bob and Robin Armstrong, who live nearby, said they heard about the missing child when three children came knocking on their door to ask whether they had seen Evan.
They checked with neighbors to verify the story and decided to help search.
They came ready with their flashlights to help, but authorities said they had search parties looking for the child so they returned to their house, Armstrong said.
Neighbors in the area also helped when they learned the child was missing.
Jim Zoshak, who lives in the neighborhood, came with his wife and children to help search for about three hours. Zoshak heard the news while at his parents' house in Bullard and returned to his neighborhood to help.
He said he walked a quarter of a mile along the lake looking through rocks in the water. A fire department on the scene let him continue looking as it also searched.
Zoshak was wearing a headlamp and carrying a flashlight Friday night as he searched. His wife and their children also looked in a wooded area nearby.
Bob and Robin Armstrong, who live nearby, said they heard about the missing child when three children came knocking on their door to ask whether they had seen Evan.
They checked with neighbors to verify the story and decided to help search.
They came ready with their flashlights to help, but authorities said they had search parties looking for the child so they returned to their house, Armstrong said.
