The Mason County Sheriff’s Office said A 10-year-old Belfair boy, who was reported missing Monday and found alive 24 hours later on Tuesday, has been taken into protective custody along with his two sisters.
Deputies would not yet say why the three children, who are adopted siblings, were taken away from their mother but said Child Protective Services is now involved. KIRO 7 is no longer showing the 10-year-old boy’s picture as a result.
The boy’s mother, Anita Monk, told KIRO 7 that investigators would not allow her to see the 10-year-old boy at the Bremerton hospital where he was taken to be checked out for possible hypothermia.
Monk said the boy made a claim against her that led deputies to take the children into protective custody.
"I said so what are the allegations? And he finally said, threats of violence. I said really?” said Monk, who denied making threats of violence. “You're going to take the word of a 10-year-old who’s already in trouble, who’s been in trouble; that's why he ran away and it's just ridiculous.”
Monk said her two other children, the boy’s siblings, were taken from her at the hospital and she doesn’t know when they’ll get to come back home.
"That was scary, more so for them,” said Monk. “I promised them they would never have to go to another home.”
Deputies said the investigation is ongoing and did not anticipate the boy would have to spend the night in the hospital. KIRO 7 reached out to Child Protective Services late Tuesday for additional information but have not yet heard back.
The boy disappeared around 3 p.m. Monday in Belfair, deputies said.
Deputies previously said he was alone with his 8-year-old sister when he left his home on Labrador Lane on Monday and walked to his friend’s house in the 3200 block of Rasor Road.
Early Tuesday, Mason County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Troy Jasmin said it appeared the boy ran away.
“We have some information that led us to believe this was an intentional act by him. At this point, we’re leading with that, and we’ve expanded the search. It’s allowed us to pinpoint a better area of where we’re searching," Jasmin said.
Jasmin said the the boy’s friends gave him food, water and a flashlight. Searchers believed the boy was hunkered down somewhere and searchers said found leftovers from food he had eaten.
The boy was taken to a nearby hospital after he was found to be treated out of precaution, deputies said.
Watch a Tuesday morning news conference on the search, before he was found, from Mason County Chief Criminal Deputy of Patrol Ryan Spurling below: