Missing 3-Year-Old Found Safe In San Diego

Update:

SAN DIEGO, CA – A toddler who went missing under "highly unusual" circumstances in Linda Vista Tuesday was found unharmed following an intensive five-hour search of the neighborhood just north of Mission Valley, a police lieutenant said.

The exhaustive efforts to find 3-year-old Kevin Serrano began in the late morning and continued into the mid-afternoon, when the boy was "safely located," according to San Diego police. It was not immediately clear where the errant tyke turned up.

Officers scoured streets, yards and canyons around the Serrano family's home in the 2500 block of Ulric Street on foot, aboard patrol motorcycles and from above in a police helicopter. Search teams with scenting dogs also took part.

The child's mother reported him missing about 10:15 a.m., telling officers she had left him alone in a room in their apartment for about five minutes and returned to find him gone.

The woman "frantically" searched the grounds of the complex for about 10 minutes before making a 911 call, Lt. Christian Sharp told reporters.

"(We) have the helicopter and about 30-plus officers and more officers arriving in to continue the search," Sharp said at midday.

The brown-haired, roughly 35-pound boy, who was wearing blue "Cookie Monster" pajamas at the time of his disappearance, had no history of wandering away from home, the lieutenant told news crews.

The child's mother told police the front door to their apartment was closed but unlocked when she left the room her son was in and remained so when she returned to find him gone.

"So this is highly unusual, and that's why we're taking this extremely seriously," Sharp said.

Shortly after 3 p.m., police announced that Kevin had been found. The agency did not immediately provide details about how and where he had been located.

–By City News Service

Original story:

SAN DIEGO, CA – Police were seeking the public's help Tuesday in finding a toddler missing in San Diego.

Kevin Serrano, 3, was reported missing around 10 a.m. in the 2500 block of Ulric Street, near Fulton Street in Linda Vista, according to San Diego police. Police were searching for the child by ground and aboard a patrol helicopter.

Kevin has brown hair and brown eyes and weighs 36 pounds. He was last seen wearing blue pajamas with a Cookie Monster pattern, police said.

Anyone with information was asked to call San Diego police at 619-531-2000.

Image via San Diego Police Department