Autistic Boy Goes Missing, Prompting Police Search near Downtown Riverside

RIVERSIDE (CNS) – A 14-year-old autistic boy who wandered away from his home near downtown Riverside was the subject of a search Tuesday.

Chris Cruz was last seen shortly before 10 a.m. in the 5200 block of Jurupa Avenue, near Tucson Court, in an area known as the "Wood Streets," the city’s oldest neighborhood.

The Riverside Police Department issued a "moderate alert" on the city’s missing person system, signaling that the disappearance was not believed to be connected with a crime.

The agency stated Cruz is considered at-risk "due to being autistic."

"We have our officers and our bloodhound `Ruger’ searching … for Chris," according to RPD. "He was last seen walking toward the (Santa Ana) River bottom but has not been seen since."

Chris is 5 feet, 11 inches and 180 pounds, with black wavy hair, brown eyes and traces of a mustache. He was wearing all-black clothing when he was last seen, police said.

Anyone with information was asked to contact the police department at 951-354-2007.

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