Missing Child Found Playing Basketball

A child reported missing by South Orange police was found playing basketball in Weequahic Park in Newark.

South Orange police had sent out a Facebook alert on Tuesday night, asking for residents’ help in finding the lost 11-year-old resident of Newark.

According to the post, police checked “just about every store or eatery in South Orange,” as well as parks and the movie theater. In addition, a neighborhood watch coordinator “disseminated the info through their network.”

The child was located a few hours after the original post was made, according to one online comment.

“At the time of our Facebook alert, Newark Police had not yet reached out to surrounding towns about the missing child,” a police spokesman told Patch. “However, we spoke to the mother directly and got a jump on looking for him.”