SAFFORD —A shoplifting incident led to the discovery of 15-year-old boy reported missing out of Maricopa County.
Safford Police responded to the shoplifting call at the Speedway convenience store on the 700 block of 8th Avenue. Employees said a young man ran off with two six-packs of Corona beer.
Police located the boy near 8th Avenue and State Route 70 and a records check found both an outstanding warrant and notice he was reported missing from a Maricopa County group home.
The boy reportedly told officers that his father is in prison and he doesn’t know where his mother is, so he is under the care of Child Protective Services. He also claimed to have “mental problems” and has been in the system for about three years.
Officers transported him to Safford Police Station, where Graham County Juvenile Probation picked him up for transport back to Maricopa County.
