ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — A St. Johns County family’s search for their missing teenage son ended with an emotional surprise Monday morning after a couple spotted the teen.
16-year-old Benjamin Adcock, who has autism and schizophrenia, was found safe after disappearing from his home on Whispering Woods Lane in St. Augustine on Saturday.
The news came in the middle of a Monday morning news conference as St. Johns County Sheriff Rob Hardwick updated the public on the search effort. Family members, deputies, volunteers and community members had gathered at a command center and were preparing to continue searching when word came that Benjamin had been found.
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Benjamin was found less than a mile from the command post where search efforts had been centered and about two miles from where he was last seen.
The couple who found him said they were not looking for recognition. They simply wanted to help bring him home.
Maureen, who asked that her last name not be used, said she was leaving to pick up a friend when she spotted a teenager walking down her street.
“I looked at him, and I said, ‘That’s him!’” she said.
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Maureen said she immediately recognized Benjamin from photos that had been shared across social media during the search.
Her husband, Michael, said his first concern was making sure Benjamin felt safe.
“I thought he was scared and my whole thing was to bring him in, put my arms around him, and give him that safe and secure feeling,” Michael said. “No recognition. We are just very happy that the young man is found.”
Moments later, Benjamin was reunited with his mother and surrounded by deputies. The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office later shared a photo showing the teen safe inside Michael and Maureen’s home before he was reunited with his family.
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