“Our hearts go out to the family,” said Shiera Goff, a Montgomery County Police spokeswoman, speaking Sunday evening after police had led a 26-hour search of the area. “We all had been hoping for a different outcome.”
Lt. Kristina Hedgepeth, in response to a question of what she would tell parents, said watching children is always difficult, and only more so when children have special needs.
“It’s a tough thing to say to anyone in this situation,” Hedgepeth said, “but I just know as a parent myself, your head’s got to be on a swivel. You have to constantly be watching. And it’s even harder when you have a child with special needs.”
More than 100 police officers, firefighters and volunteers had spent more than a day searching in and around Bohrer Park in Gaithersburg. Officials who called a news conference earlier Sunday struck a confident tone.
“We are committed to locating Fawzan and locating him safety,” Montgomery County Assistant Police Chief Nicholas Augustine said Sunday, appealing for help from the public as the search was extended outward from the park.
“He could be hunkered down and just scared,” said Montgomery County police officer Laurie Reyes, who specializes in working with families of autistic children and helping find them when they go missing.
Fawzan, who weighed 42 pounds, had last been last seen wearing a green shirt, blue jeans, and white and silver sneakers.
Bohrer Park is bordered by neighborhoods on the southwest and southeast sides; by Frederick Avenue on the northeast side; and by Gaithersburg High School on the northwest side.
Police had urged residents in the area to diligently search their property, including under porches and decks, and inside unlocked cars and sheds.
Officers warned people not to approach the child because he might run away but to instead call 911.
People with autism who go missing often are drawn to bodies of water, Reyes said. The Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service searched ponds in the area on Saturday and Sunday, said Pete Piringer, an agency spokesman.
Officers with the Montgomery County Police Department, Gaithersburg Police Department, Maryland State Police and Maryland-National Capital Park Police had helped in the search, officials said. Drones with infrared sensing technology were flown over the area into the night.
Police had encouraged residents to print out a flier from the department’s social media pages and hang it up in the Gaithersburg area. Those driving in the area were asked to call police if they saw a young child sitting alone at a bus stop.
Montgomery police offer this advice when approaching nonverbal autistic children:
It is important to approach them calmly and slowly; avoid making sudden movements or loud noises that might startle them. Speak in a gentle, reassuring tone, even if the child does not respond verbally. Nonverbal autistic children might not respond to their name, so try to use other cues, such as visual signals or familiar objects, to get their attention.
Most importantly, police said, ensure the child’s safety and wait for law enforcement to arrive.
Advice to keep vulnerable people from wandering is available from the Montgomery Police Department’s Autism/Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD), Alzheimer’s and Dementia Outreach Unit.
Amanda Smith is a dedicated U.S. correspondent with a passion for uncovering the stories that shape the nation. With a background in political science, she provides in-depth analysis and insightful commentary on domestic affairs, ensuring readers are well-informed about the latest developments across the United States.
