Fort Bragg Police Department

Authorities confirm: Child at center of major search Found Safe; media outlets urged to pull identifying info

Photo of Frank Hartzell Frank Hartzell Send an email 32 minutes ago
0 9 1 minute read
PLEASE, LETS STOP TALKING ABOUT THE MISSING BOY UNLESS WE ARE PART OF THE FAMILY OR CLOSE CIRCLE OF FRIENDS

UPDATE — Authorities confirmed the child was found safely this morning. We have just received the news. We encourage other news outlets to remove his photo and name from their pages, and urge the family to request the same. This child does not need a permanent online record of being missing, and most of that footprint will disappear if media organizations strike his identifying information.

Our original story, with all identifying details for the child removed, follows:

UPDATE at 9:12 PM— The MCSO says the boy has still not been found.

Does he like dogs? Could he have gone to the humane society and is listening to dogs nearby? (our thought)

. The grandma posted about 20 minutes ago that he absolutely has not been found yet, and that he is not aware of the dangers of the road.

Also this from Kim Taylor

I hope he is found safe and sound soon, and that people are extra careful driving….

The grandma also posted that he is not aware of the dangers of the road.

****PLEASE BE EXTRA CAREFUL DRIVING ON Hwy 20****

“This is my grandson and he is NOT found. Please refrain from posting updates without confirmation from law enforcement. It could cause people to stop looking. Please drive carefully he doesn’t understand the danger of the highway and cars!!”

Authorities, family members and friends are searching backyards and wooded areas in Fort Bragg and the surrounding region for a shoeless 10‑year‑old boy xxxxx who disappeared about 3:30 pm

A Nixle alert reports the boy was wearing a blue shirt with a Star Wars Yoda print, khaki pants and no shoes. He is missing from XXXXXXX (identifying information removed)

If located, call Fort Bragg Police Department at 707-961-2800

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Photo of Frank Hartzell Frank Hartzell Send an email 32 minutes ago
0 9 1 minute read
Photo of Frank Hartzell

Frank Hartzell

Frank Hartzell has spent his lifetime as a curious anthropologist in a reporter's fedora. His first news job was chasing news on the streets of Houston with high school buddy and photographer James Mason, back in 1986. Then Frank graduated from Humboldt State and went to Great Gridley as a reporter, where he bonded with 1000 people and told about 3000 of their stories. In Marysville at the Appeal Democrat, the sheltered Frank got to see both the chilling depths and amazing heights of humanity. From there, he worked at the Sacramento Bee covering Yuba-Sutter and then owned the Business Journal in Yuba City, which sold 5000 subscriptions to a free newspaper. Frank then got a prestigious Kiplinger Investigative Reporting fellowship and was city editor of the Newark Ohio, Advocate and then came back to California for 4 years as managing editor of the Napa Valley Register before working as a Dominican University professor, then coming to Fort Bragg to be with his aging mom, Betty Lou Hartzell, and working for the Fort Bragg Advocate News. Frank paid the bills during that decade + with a successful book business. He has worked for over 50 publications as a freelance writer, including the Mendocino Voice and Anderson Valley Advertiser, along with construction and engineering publications. He has had the thrill of learning every day while writing. Frank is now living his dream running MendocinoCoast.News with wife, Linda Hartzell, and web developer, Marty McGee, reporting from Fort Bragg, California.

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