California

Boy With Autism Found Dead Near Train Tracks After Going Missing From SoCal Home

A body found by railroad tracks near Yucca, Arizona, is that of an 8-year-old boy with autism who was reported missing from his home in the Southern California desert, his grandmother confirmed Sunday.

San Bernardino County Sheriff's officials say Kaden Lanphear's disappearance from his home in Needles on Saturday morning triggered an extensive search.

However, about 2 1/2 hours later authorities learned a young boy's body was found along railroad tracks in a rural area near Yucca. Detectives believe he was struck by a train.

"I'm going to miss Kaden, he was all my heart," said the boy's grandmother, Susan Lanphear. "To have this happen to me or anybody that has a child that was killed by the tracks, it's horrible."

Officials say evidence indicates he boarded a train near his home in Needles, along the California-Arizona border, and traveled about 40 miles to Yucca where he got off.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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