Autistic teen who went missing is found in Tennessee
Published 3:25 pm Monday, June 8, 2020
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MEMPHIS (AP) — An autistic teenager who went missing from a boys’ ranch in Mississippi for more than a week was found alive Sunday in Tennessee.
Nathan Alexander Covarrubias, 14, was found thanks to law enforcement, the community and social media, the FBI said in a tweet. He had been missing from Summit’s View Ranch for Boys in Walnut, Miss., since May 29.
Nathan was found near Middleton, Tenn., about 8 miles (13 kilometers) from Walnut, news outlets reported. He was taken to a hospital in Memphis to be checked out, Alcorn County Sheriff Ben Caldwell told the Daily Journal.
Authorities said the teenager has autism, disruptive mood dysregulation and bipolar disorder.
Nathan’s parents, Edgar and Carrie Covarrubias, traveled from their home in Fort Worth, Texas, to Mississippi during the search, the Daily Journal reported. Nathan’s family had sent him to the boy’s ranch for behavioral issues, WMC-TV reported.
The Daily Journal also reported that Child Protective Services began an inquiry into the ranch weeks before Nathan’s disappearance. The facility is facing a series of staff departures and allegations of boys being mistreated.
Tony Farese, an attorney for the ranch’s director David Lovely, acknowledged the investigation but denied any wrongdoing, abuse or neglect.
