MILPITAS — A 9-year-old boy reported missing earlier this week was found safe after authorities determined his mother staged the disappearance, Milpitas police announced Friday.
Harshail Kumar was reported missing the morning of July 3, prompting a large-scale search effort involving the Milpitas Police Department, Santa Clara County Search and Rescue and numerous community volunteers.
But after an extensive investigation, detectives found that the boy had never been missing. Instead, he had been deliberately hidden by his mother, 46-year-old Rohnita Prasad, who falsely told police he had disappeared, officials said.
Prasad was arrested and booked into Santa Clara County Jail on suspicion of child endangerment, intimidating or dissuading a witness or victim, and filing a false police report, authorities said.
The Santa Clara County Department of Family and Children Services is now working to determine where Kumar will be placed and ensure his safety going forward.
“We want to thank the Santa Clara County Search and Rescue Team and the community members who gave their time and energy in response to what was believed to be a genuine emergency,” the Milpitas Police Department said in a statement. “The safety of our children remains our top priority, and we will always take these cases seriously.”
No additional details were released due to the ongoing nature of the investigation.
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