The mother said someone eventually found him near Del Paso Road and Gateway Parkway with his head tucked in between his knees.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A Sacramento mother is demanding answers after her autistic, nonverbal son walked away from Natomas Park Elementary School on Friday and was found about an hour later near a busy intersection a quarter-mile from campus.
She said her son went missing around 11:10 a.m. after walking off school grounds. The mother, who did not want to be named, rushed to campus to help search.
She said someone eventually found him near Del Paso Road and Gateway Parkway with his head tucked in between his knees.
“Someone had called in and said they found him in the intersection terrified,” she said.
According to the mother, this was the sixth time her son has walked off campus, but this time, staff couldn’t find him at first.
“I did not know if I ever see my baby again. When I was looking for him near the canal because he loves water, I was praying every second. I was calling his name, that I didn’t see him in the water.” She added, “I don’t understand why they are just not listening, it is not that complicated.”
She said her repeated calls for more security have gone nowhere.
Natomas Unified School District called it “an unfortunate incident.” They released this statement to ABC10:
“Natomas Park Elementary School experienced an unfortunate incident today in which a student left the campus unnoticed during recess. The student was located safely shortly thereafter and returned to the school.
We take this situation very seriously. The safety of our students is our highest priority, and we are thoroughly reviewing our current supervision and safety procedures. We are already implementing adjustments to prevent this type of incident from happening again.
We appreciate the quick actions of our staff and community members and remain committed to maintaining a safe and supportive environment for all students.”
The mother praised the staff who physically searched for her son and the teacher her son loves, but said she wants the district to do more to improve safety.
“I am terrified to even send him back to school. I don’t want to lose my son,” she said.
Sacramento Police tells ABC10 they were called to the scene around 11:30 am and the student was located near 4400 block of Gateway Park Blvd.
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