A 7-year-old boy who had been missing out of the Arlington Heights area has been found safe, authorities said Wednesday afternoon.
Derek Clay had previously been seen in the courtyard of an apartment complex in the 1100 block of Crenshaw Boulevard around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, the Los Angeles Police Department said.
The boy lives with his grandfather and brother and was playing in the courtyard when he went missing. His grandfather alerted authorities when he wasn’t able to find the boy himself.
Derek was found safe near 5th and San Pedro streets in downtown Los Angeles around 2:35 p.m., police later said. It is unclear how the boy got there or if he was by himself, but there were people around when officers spotted him. He was reunited with his family, police said.
Authorities had previously indicated that investigators were interviewing Derek’s biological mother and brother to see if either of them knew where he was.