NYC boy with Asperger’s missing for 11 days lived in subways; says did it to avoid scolding

NYC boy missing for 11 days lived in subways

NEW YORK — The mother of a 13-year-old boy with Asperger’s syndrome who was missing in New York City for 11 days says her son spent the entire time in the subway system.

The boy’s mother, Marisela Garcia, feels police were slow to make the case a priority because she’s a Mexican immigrant. But police say they contacted the school immediately and leafleted most of the city.

Garcia wants to know how her son went unnoticed for so long despite surveillance cameras and a police search. He has Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism.

Police found Francisco Hernandez Jr. on Oct. 26 in a Coney Island subway station. He says he took refuge in the subway after getting in trouble at school and feared a scolding at home.

He rode trains and used station bathrooms. He says he mostly slept and lived on snacks and water.

Information from: The New York Times, www.nytimes.com