KATY, Texas – A missing 11-year-old boy was found safe Wednesday, hiding behind a trash Dumpster.
An Amber Alert was issued for Richard Redland after he went missing from his Katy home. The Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office said Richard was not in his room in the 21300 block of Willow Glade Drive when his mom awoke at 5:45 a.m. She called 911.
Dozens of deputies, K-9 officers and neighbors searched for the boy near his home. Officers blocked off streets and stood guard at the subdivision gate to check inside vehicles and trunks as people left the neighborhood.
"I prayed, cried and got on Facebook to search and help find the little boy," neighbor Nicohl Salinas said.
"When you get the call and there is a missing child, we are going to give it everything we have got. That's our job. We don't suspect foul play but we have a missing 11-year-old out there. We want to find him," a deputy said.
ATVs were used to search wooded areas surrounding the subdivision.
Officials said a trash crew found the boy hiding behind a Dumpster on South Mason Road at Westheimer Parkway about a mile from his house and alerted a deputy. He was questioned and reunited with his family. The boy's father was out of town on business.
Investigators are trying to figure out why the boy ran away.
"We found the young man. He's safe. It's a positive conclusion to a scary case," said Bob Haenel with the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office.
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