Update: as of 6:30 Sunday evening the child had been found and is with law enforcement officials.
A 7-year-old boy who vanished in Rock Springs on Sunday afternoon is not considered a runaway, according to local police.
The Rock Springs Police Department dispatched a statement early Sunday evening asking for the public’s help in finding Leo Ressler, an autistic 7 year-old.
Ressler was last seen wearing a white shirt and grey shorts, and in the area of F Street and Lincoln Park, says the statement.
“If you see him or have any information on his whereabouts please call Rock Springs Police Department at 307-362-6575 and reference care R24-19144,” the statement adds.
RSPD Public Information Officer Elizabeth Coontz was on her way to the incident command post during a Sunday evening phone interview with Cowboy State Daily.
“It’s just known that he’s not a runaway,” she said, adding that he is high on the autism spectrum and nonverbal. “We’re considering this more a missing and endangered person situation.”
An update post by the department says a person who finds the child should call RSPD but not approach him. He was last seen at 4 p.m. Sunday, walking east by Eastside Elementary.
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
