MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – A 12-year-old autistic boy who disappeared Monday from a busy shopping center in southwest Miami-Dade County has been found safe.
Miami-Dade police said Cory Binelo was found Monday afternoon at 27940 S. Dixie Highway.
Detective Robin Pinkard said Cory disappeared earlier in the morning from the Navarro Discount Pharmacy near Southwest 97th Avenue and Coral Way, about 25 miles away from where he was found.
The boy's mother called 911 to report him missing. Family members were walking another child to school when Cory somehow got separated from them.
Emilyn Castrillo, who volunteered in the search for Cory, told Local 10 News that she is the mother of an autistic child, so she wanted to help.
"There's a child missing with autism and I'm a mom of a child with autism as well, so I heard the news and it was close by my house so we wanted to come and volunteer and help search for the child," she said.
Police said Cory was reunited with his family.
Local 10 News reporter Terrell Forney spoke with Cory's mother, Shirley Campo, who said that her son is going through some emotional issues.
She said he was speaking to a counselor Monday afternoon.