FORT BEND COUNTY, TX – Dozens of neighbors, many of them parents of children with autism, are searching neighborhoods, retention ponds and wooded areas for a missing 5-year-old boy in Fort Bend County.
Eddie Hall was last seen Sunday in the 3800 block of Ryans Rock Court in Katy, according to the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office.
He was wearing black pants, a black T-shirt featuring Elmo and no shoes. He has black hair with loose curls.
Authorities said there is no indication of foul play, but time is critical as deputies, search-and-rescue teams and community volunteers work to find him.
Families have searched on foot and used drones, ATVs and other equipment to cover neighborhoods including Tamarron, Cross Creek West, Jordan Ranch and Young Ranch. Volunteers also created a WhatsApp group that quickly grew to approximately 200 members coordinating search efforts.
Many of those volunteers did not know Eddie or his family before Sunday.
“We’re such a close-knit community. It’s basically a family,” neighbor Jemeil Sawyer said. “We all have children, and some of us have autistic children. We’ve kind of put ourselves in this family’s shoes.”
Community members said Eddie is autistic and enjoys music from “Little Einsteins” and “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.” They said he answers to Eddie, is motivated by food and may hide or enter secluded places.
Volunteers have been playing his favorite songs and calling out to him with offers of popsicles in hopes of getting his attention.
“As autism moms, we really understand their minds and kind of what they might be looking for,” Rachel McAdoo said. “We’re just trying to share that and help in any way we can.”
McAdoo said some children on the autism spectrum do not recognize danger and may be drawn to the sight or sound of water. She urged residents to inspect their yards, pools, drainage areas and other quiet or enclosed spaces where Eddie could be hiding.
The area’s numerous retention ponds are among the community’s greatest concerns. Neighbors said the ponds are connected through drainage tunnels and that alligators have been seen in the waterways.
“This community is so big that they span for miles,” Sawyer said. “It’s a dangerous situation. It really is.”
Dense tree lines and large stretches of undeveloped land are also complicating the search.
Natalia Lopez, who also has a son with autism, said she joined other mothers as soon as she learned Eddie was missing.
“We’re treating every hour like it’s the first hour,” Lopez said. “We’re not slowing down. We’re checking, rechecking and we’ll continue to check—as long as it takes. We’re looking for our own kid.”
Some parents said they wished the broader public had been alerted sooner, arguing that an earlier alert could have put more people on the lookout.
“We did what we hope other mothers would do if this was our child,” McAdoo said. “We got out there, and we just wanted to help do anything we can and look anywhere we could.”
Volunteers said they intend to continue searching through the night and return Monday if Eddie is not found.
“We’re never going to give up,” McAdoo said. “Our hope is that he’s somewhere where he could stay cool, and maybe when it cools down tonight, he’ll come out and we’ll be able to more easily locate him.”
Anyone with information about Eddie’s whereabouts should call the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office non-emergency line at 281-341-4665, option 1.