TULSA - A search for a missing 16-year-old is on. He was last seen at a Walgreens in East Tulsa.
The family of Nathan Goines says their autistic son has been missing from a shelter since Friday.
2 Works for You reporter Katie Wisely went with the family Friday evening on the search which started at the Walgreens near Pine and Sheridan, the last place Goines was seen.
Store officials say they saw Goines at the Walgreens on Sunday afternoon. The family and searchers looked for the young boy for many hours on Wednesday.
Step by step...
Breath by breath...
They searched for Goines, posting flyers where they believe someone might have seen him.
And writing messages, hoping against hope that the young teen would see them.
"This isn't anything that you think you're going to wake up and do, be the mom and family who is looking for their son," said Shannon Lemmons, Goines' mother.
She said Goines recently has been living at the Laura Dester Children's Center - a kid's shelter.
Despite the fact he has been missing since Friday, Lemmons says she wasn't notified until Tuesday.
"it's been over 48 hours and you watch all those crime shows and they say after 48 hours you have less of a chance and so I'm really scared," the worried mom said.
Bridging the Gap stepped up and organized the search. Julie Pendley, founder of the group said, "He's young, he's autistic. The weather has been OK. We believe that he is being protected by possibly a homeless person. But it's very urgent and it's in our own backyard."
Goines' foster sister, Malina, says she will never stop looking for her brother.
"It's kind of like looking for a needle in a haystack," Malina said. "And how are we going to find him? He could be anywhere at this point."
As the night goes on, moving from location to location, flashlights in hand, the image of Goines' face is a constant reminder as they trudge on, determined to find him.
KJRH reached out to the shelter and they said they are working with police to help find him.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
Download our free app for Apple and Android and Kindle devices.
Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox. Select from these options: Breaking News, Severe Weather, School Closings, Daily Headlines and Daily Forecasts.
