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Jorge Morales, a 6-year-old boy with autism reported missing from Miami in August 2022, was found safe and sound in a city in Canada.
On Sunday, October 30, Canadian police confirmed via Twitter that Jorge Morales was found unharmed in Moncton, New Brunswick, after a citizen spotted the missing child and recognized him from media reports at a Walmart.
Yanet Leal Concepcion reported her son missing on August 27 after his father failed to return him following a court-ordered visit laid out in a custody agreement.
Jorge was found with his father, Jorge Gabriel Morales, who was later arrested by the Canadian authorities. The child's paternal grandmother, Lilliam Morales, was also arrested for violating the custody agreement and abducting the child two months ago.
Jorge's 45-year-old father was arrested at a business on Plaza Boulevard and his 68-year-old grandmother was taken into custody at Village-Des-Cormier Road in Saint-Paul, Miami Dade-Police Department confirmed in a statement.
Jorge Morales' paternal grandmother assisted his father in his abduction
According to authorities, Jorge Morales was picked up by his paternal grandmother Lilliam Morales to visit his father, who shared custody with the six-year-old’s mother.
However, on August 27, a missing person alert was issued when Concepcion went to her ex-husband's apartment to check on her child and discovered that they had left the residence with their belongings.
In September, authorities received a lead on the kidnapping case when they found an abandoned 2006 Ford Expedition truck driven by the child’s father in Maine. After finding the child's belongings in the car, authorities believed that the suspects were either in Maine or in eastern Canada.
Concepcion, seemingly elated after her son’s discovery, is waiting to be reunited with her child, who is relatively unaware of the two-month abduction ordeal due to his autism. Meanwhile, she issued the following statement to the Daily Beast:
“Every mother fears the worst and I’m just... I can’t, my body is like leaving my soul. I’m just so happy I can’t stop crying.”
She added that she spoke to the son, who is currently on his way home to her.
"All I said was, ‘Hey, baby! I missed you!’ and he says, ‘It’s mommy, it’s mommy!"
In a Facebook post, the Miami Dade-Police Department praised the efforts of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, who assisted in the discovery of the missing child. In a statement, Miami-Dade Police Director Freddy Ramirez said:
“This is another example of local, state, federal, and international law enforcement, along with the United States and State Attorney’s Office coming together for the safety of a child and will continue to work together to fight the greater evil.”
Jorge Morales' father and grandmother are expected to be charged with felony counts related to custodial interference.
