HOPKINS, Minn. — At a Monday afternoon press conference, officials announced a missing 4-year-old boy with autism was found dead in Minnehaha Creek.
During the search on Monday morning, KARE 11's Lou Raguse was near Minnehaha Creek, just off the 7800 block of Powell Road, when he witnessed law enforcement and search crews pouring into the area. Officers put up police tape to keep the public away, and the mood of the first responders was described as grim.
Hopkins Police Department Captain Craig Krieling told those gathered at the press conference that Minnehaha Creek is running fast due to recent rains. Krieling said officials believe at this point that the boy drowned after leaving his apartment on his own.
"Get to know your neighbors, get to know the people within your communities. Possibly, if there could have been somebody that might have seen him at a particular moment," said Krieling, when asked what the public can do to prevent an incident like this from happening again.
"We ask for those people to step up, take some action, call the police is something is out of the ordinary. Let people know."
On Sunday, police said Waeys Ali Mohamed wandered away from the Chorus Apartments on the 1200 block of Lake Street around 7:30 a.m. wearing only blue pajama pants. Family members say Waeys had autism, could not speak and was easily startled or scared by loud noises.
KARE 11's Audrey Russo reported that more than two dozen volunteers were on hand as the search for the missing child kicked off Monday morning. Many of them are parents or grandparents of children who are Waeys' age, or have connections to the Twin Cities autism community.
Kreiling said Hopkins law enforcement personnel first began searching for Waeys shortly after he was reported missing and were soon joined by firefighters, search and rescue teams, drone pilots and State Patrol aircraft, and multiple K-9 units from departments across the metro. Searchers worked the area all day Sunday but did not locate the boy.
Like many children with autism, Kreiling said Waeys was drawn to water, and Minnehaha Creek runs near his family's apartment. Firefighters got in the water Sunday with their safety suits, and various types of watercraft were also utilized in the search.
A GoFundMe has been set for anyone looking to help support the family.
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