Autistic Nebraska boy, 11, searched ‘how to hide from police’ before going missing

An 11-year-old autistic boy who has been missing for five days in Nebraska had researched online ‘how to hide from police’ before he vanished and sparked a massive search. 

Ryan Larsen has been missing since he walked out of his elementary school in the Omaha suburb of La Vista on Monday. 

Police say a search of the Larsen family computer revealed the boy had recently looked up ‘hiding from the police,’ ‘hiding underground’ and ‘how to avoid being spotted.’ 

The FBI and Center for Missing and Exploited Children have since joined the search as it entered its fifth day. 

Ryan Larsen, 11, has been missing since he walked out of his elementary school near Omaha, Nebraska on Monday 

The FBI and Center for Missing and Exploited Children have since joined the search as it entered its fifth day

La Vista Police Captain Jeremy Kinsey said the sixth-grader, who has autism, was ‘high functioning’ and that had a history of running away and hiding.

Police say they have no reason to believe Ryan was abducted. 

‘He likes to hide in the weirdest spots,’ Kinsey said. ‘He could very well be watching us right now, laughing at us. 

‘He’s playing the ultimate game of hide and seek on us now and he’s winning.’

Police said they were worried about food, water and Ryan’s medications. 

‘We have a list of what medications he’s on. We’ve talked to doctors about the effects of those medications, and that’s concerning, that some of the things that he needs to be on,’ police chief Bob Lausten said. 

‘You can still survive without those meds, but it helps you cope with the different things that are out there.’ 

Authorities are working with the FBI and autism experts to try and predict what his current mindset might be. 

Police say a search of the Larsen family computer revealed the boy had recently looked up ‘hiding from the police,’ ‘hiding underground’ and ‘how to avoid being spotted’. Photos obtained by WOWT

La Vista Police Captain Jeremy Kinsey said the sixth-grader, who has autism, was ‘high functioning’ and that had a history of running away and hiding

Police say they have scaled back their search efforts to prevent Ryan from being frightened if he spots a large group of people together. 

They acknowledged that the boy doesn’t like to be spoken to, especially by strangers. 

The search has been centered near his home, as well as nearby parks that Ryan regularly goes to.  

‘I promise you we’ve thought of checking trash cans and parked cars,’ Kinsey said.  

Ryan vanished from Papillion-La Vista School while transitioning from one classroom to another at about noon on Monday.

The school, which does not have surveillance cameras, said a teacher noticed within five minutes that he was missing.

‘They immediately began to search the building to see where he was and then notified Ryan’s mom and the police immediately,’ a school spokesperson said.

‘I can’t think of anything more heartbreaking as a parent or a staff member than having to look for a child.’

Police described Ryan as white, about 5 feet 8 inches tall, with brown hair and hazel eyes. He was wearing a black jacket, blue jeans, an Old Navy shirt and was carrying a polka-dot umbrella when he vanished.  

The search has been centered near his home, as well as nearby parks that Ryan regularly goes to

Police say they have scaled back their search efforts to prevent Ryan from being frightened if he spots a large group of people together