A missing child case involving a seven-year-old boy with autism has ended in tragedy, according to the Volusia Sheriff's Office. Charlie Newton, who went missing on Monday, was found dead Tuesday morning. The saddening outcome came after an extensive search by law enforcement to find Newton after it became apparent that he was missing.
According to the VSO, Newton ran away from his home on Stillwater Ave in Deltona at around 8:00 pm on Monday. He was reported to be wearing a black t-shirt and white or gray shorts. The community was advised that his autism made him non-verbal, and that he may be attracted to Christmas lights or to bodies of water, as well as to trees which he enjoyed climbing up.
A reverse 911 call was sent out to residents in the area of Charlie's disappearance, and his photo was distributed to businesses in the area to get the word out. Soon K-9 units joined the search, and the search expanded to both the ground and air. Residents of Deltona and all of Volusia County waited anxiously through the night for a breakthrough, but no solid updates came until morning.
At last, on Tuesday morning, the VSO confirmed that Charlie Newton was found dead in a body of water, and that his body had been recovered. "This is the tragic outcome we all worked so hard hoping would not come to pass," the agency said on social media. "We appreciate all the shares, the community support and the assistance from all our partner agencies in this effort."
