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A 5th grade Hearst Elementary School student was found hiding in bushes near his home on Arlington Drive just before dark Tuesday after his mother reported him missing a few hours earlier.
More than 20 from the Pleasanton police department and volunteers from the Rosepointe community searched along streets and parkland near Hearst School. A helicopter provided by the East Bay Regional Park District joined in the search.
The student, who according to reports was not at the Hearst pick-up zone to meet his mother, couldn’t be found. After a search by school administrators and the mother failed to find him, police were notified. His backpack was found in his backyard, but the youth was nowhere to be found.
Police quickly made copies of a photo of the boy and several officers walked along Valley Avenue to Sunol Boulevard and down the street to Arlington asking pedestrians and motorists to be on the lookout for the boy.
The search was called off about 5:30 p.m. after the boy was found.
The boy is in 5th grade, not 3rd and he gets a ride home from his mom. He does not walk home. Please get your facts straight before printing your story.
I agree…..please know the story before printing. This is a wonderful family and a mother who picks up her children every day. She knew there was a problem when he was not in the pick-up loop at school. He is there everyday to meet her.
Give them a rest. If they hadn’t printed it, other people would be complaining wondering why it hadn’t been reported on.
The Pleasanton Weekly is always good about making corrections that they learn of.
And really, I’m not saying that the facts don’t matter or trying to take anything away from the situation, but whether or not he was in 3rd or 5th grade doesn’t matter that much.
Sara–you obviously have no connection –or meaningful connection– to this situation. It has been a very scary, emotional, and upsetting afternoon and evening for many of us. Yes, PW does correct, but not just the grade level but that the opposite of they said he always walks home everyday…..completely false and painting a very different story….
Again, for those of us connected…..it has been a long night. Just want to see the details accurate so rumors and gossip is kept to a minimum. A little sensitivity to that would be appreciated.
Would there be something wrong if he walked home everyday? It seems to be a point to everyone’s comments that there would be something wrong if he wasn’t picked up everyday.
Not, for me, I wouldn’t see anything wrong with that at all. 5th grade is old enough to walk home in my opinion. The point was that this was completely unexpected –because of the fact that the mom picks up everyday and he doesn’t walk home, also out of character for him to just take off,which is a big part of what is troubling and upsetting.
Why was he hiding in the bushes???
After he was found and all the excitement was over, if he didn’t have a good excuse, I would hope “corrective action” would be applied in the appropriate place…
How wonderful this child is o.k….People, must there be fighting OVER EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Grow UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jerry is correct in saying that this kid — who is old enough to know better! — must be held accountable for his stupid and irresponsible prank. The rest of Pleasanton was virtually unprotected due to the demand for police services for a needless joke. If the kid had to pay the cost of those services himself he might not be so quick to do something that dumb again.
so glad to hear the news that he is safe. that said though – it’s time for dad to take him out behind the shed – using what I call the ‘board of education’. then he can take him back inside and hug him and be overjoyed he is safe.
I agree that there should be consequences if they find out this was just a joke. Can the PW follow up and print a story about why the kid was hiding?
Remember the guys with the balloon joke? They are facing federal charges and must pay back for all services used due to their joke used to gain attention.
Why was this kid, who is old enough to know better, hiding in the bushes?
If this was a joke, the family should pay for all services (police, extra district staff, etc).
The people responsible for the baloon saga (kid hiding, they reported him inside the baloon, police and military involved) are facing federal charges and will have to pay a fine and for the services used.
If this was a joke, the family must be held accountable. Why would a boy who is old enough to know better, be hiding in the bushes? There needs to be a followup. As a taxpayer, I do not want my money misused on pranks – hold people accountable!
sorry for mispelling balloon
Wow, my faith in the parents of Pleasanton has been restored. I figured that Jerry and I would be the only ones who feel that a dumb prank like that needs to be met with some retribution. As the above comments indicate, this is no different from the balloon boy prank, although less costly, and the parents need to pay for the costs. As should be the case each and every time someone, kid or adult, does something this stupid. Our city does not have the resources to fund searches that are caused when some kid decides to hide. At least these parents did not call the camera crews before calling the cops.