The Missouri family of a missing child was relieved to hear he was located and safe after being last seen on the evening of April 16.
Nixa Police Department confirmed officers found Kyah Kendrick, 12, at 11:50 p.m. local time, just two hours after he was reported missing on the same night.
“Kyah Kendrick has been located by Nixa Police. He is safe, thank you to those who provided tips,” police said in a Facebook post dated April 16.
UPDATE 11:09PM: Kyah Kendrick has been located by Nixa Police. He is safe. Thank you to those who provided…
Posted by Nixa Police Department on Tuesday, April 16, 2019
Nixa police have FOUND the missing teen that we alerted you about earlier tonight. They say a member of the public who received the alert saw him and called 911. He is safe. Nixa police thank the public for their help in bringing him home safely.
— Ozarks Independent (@OzarksIndie) April 17, 2019
Police thanked the community for assisting with the investigation.
“Thank you again for your shares and support … information received from the community led to locating the boy and safely returning him home,” police said in a Facebook post dated April 17. “We would like to thank the community and the Nixa Fire Protection District and Christian County Emergency Services for their service last night.”
Kendrick’s parents noticed there was something wrong when they could not find Kyah about 8:50 p.m. on April 16 near the intersection of S. Lantern Hill and Peachum Place in Nixa, 14 miles south of Springfield.
Police described the boy as “Caucasian with blonde hair, blue eyes, no glasses, about 5 foot tall, and 85 pounds.” He was wearing red shorts and a grey Royals t-shirt without shoes.
MISSING: Nixa Police Searching for Missing 12-Year-Old https://t.co/UBCdlQu8gJ pic.twitter.com/Y2ik0yD4pe
— KOLR10 KOZL (@kolr10kozl) April 17, 2019
Ozarks Independent: Nixa Police Seek Missing 12-Year-Old Boy https://t.co/HexMHuKTzk
— SGF News (@sgfnews) April 17, 2019
Another photo of Kyah Kendrick. Still missing as of 10:53pm on April 16, 2019. pic.twitter.com/gtGaHfbeGC
— City of Nixa (@CityofNixa) April 17, 2019
He was eventually found near Main Street and Highway CC, according to KY3.
Exactly how Kendrick went missing remains unclear as authorities would not comment on what had happened.
“Some question arose as to suspect information, circumstances, etc … often times there is very little we can comment on when it deals with juvenile cases or active investigations,” police said. “In missing children cases, there could be several reasons why they are missing. However, anytime there is a public safety issue with any case or if there is an abduction we would provide suspect and safety-related information to the public as we receive it.”
We would like to thank the community and the Nixa Fire Protection District and Christian County Emergency Services for…
Posted by Nixa Police Department on Wednesday, April 17, 2019
The City of Nixa was also staying tight-lipped and reconfirmed what the police had said.
UPDATE 11:09PM: Kyah Kendrick has been located by Nixa Police. He is safe. Thank you to those who provided tips.
— City of Nixa (@CityofNixa) April 17, 2019
Concerned citizens used social media to express their appreciation towards police for helping to reunite the family.
“Thank you for your dedication to our community and helping keep our kiddos safe,” Shelly McMasters Gerster said.
“So, so, so glad he has been located. Hats off to the Nixa Police Department,” Corey Brown said.
“Nixa Police Department this wonderful news. Great job in finding him,” Cheryl Richards said.
“Thank you for all your hard work, tips, and for answered prayers,” Karen Stockton said.
From The Epoch Times
