DELAND, Fla. — The Florida Department of Law Enforcement issued its first Florida Spectrum Alert one day after the law went into effect.
Law enforcement officials say 17-year-old Dominick Harris went missing on July 1 and was last seen in the 700th block of South Alabama Avenue in DeLand. He was wearing a black shirt, pajama pants, and black HEYDUDE shoes.
Officials say he may be traveling in the DeLand area or to Alabama.
Details listed for Harris say he has blonde hair and hazel eyes, weighs 125 pounds, and is 5 feet and 9 inches tall.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Holly Hill Police Department at 386-248-9475.
The statewide Spectrum Alert — which took effect on July 1 — aims to mobilize law enforcement and the public quickly when a child with autism goes missing.
Experts say children with autism are significantly more likely to wander away from safe environments, and those situations can quickly become dangerous. They say this new alert system gives communities another tool to respond faster and ultimately save lives.
To activate the alert, law enforcement must believe the child (under the age of 18) has autism, determine through an active investigation that the child is in danger of death or serious bodily injury, have a detailed description or photograph available, and recommend activation.
Experts say time is critical because in Florida, where lakes, ponds and retention areas are common, those searches can truly become a race against time.