Police in Upstate New York have intensified their efforts to find a young autistic boy who is unable to speak. The child, who is also the nephew of a Michigan mayor, disappeared on Sunday afternoon during a social event.
Seven-year-old Harbe Nagi was last observed at a graduation gathering in the village of Menands, located just north of Albany, at approximately 4:10 p.m. on Sunday. Authorities believe he may have wandered away from the event, according to information from WNYT and the Menands Police Department.
Nagi, who is nonverbal due to his autism and communicates primarily in Arabic, is not familiar with the local area. As of Monday night, he remains missing, as reported by police.
Mayor Adam Alharbi of Hamtramck, Michigan, who is Nagi’s uncle, traveled to New York to support his family during this distressing time. He has appealed to the public for their thoughts and prayers for his missing nephew, according to reports from Clickondetroit and WNYT.
The Menands Police Department released a description of the child, noting that he stands at 3-foot-7 and weighs around 48 pounds. Known for his curiosity and tendency to wander, Nagi has shown a particular fascination with water, the department stated.
Nagi loves the outdoors, climbing, and music, specifically the song “Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star,” cops said.
Authorities have stationed ice cream trucks in the area where Nagi was last seen, hoping the nostalgic sound will lure him out.
Mayor Alharbi, who is the brother of Nagi’s mother, told WNYT that the family is now offering a $10,000 reward for his nephew’s safe return.
“The child was trying to escape the house,” Alharbi told the outlet from an airport in Baltimore on his way to join the search.
“He has autism. He’s tried to escape the house several times before, but the mom would follow him and get him back into the house.”
Alharbi said Nagi was with his mother at the party when he walked off and vanished.
“As soon as I found out, I booked a flight. I haven’t slept yet. I’m in Baltimore waiting on the next flight to Albany,” the mayor said.
Nagi’s family moved to Albany from New York City a few years ago. The family is originally from Yemen, but the uncle said Nagi was born in the US.
Several community members, including those from neighboring towns, have rushed to the area to help with the desperate search for Nagi.
“I opened my garage, went all around my house, you never know, looked everywhere in my backyard. And then after that I went out with the search,” neighbor Heidi Iyok told the outlet.
Nagi was last seen wearing a light-colored shirt, dark pants, and no shoes. He has brown eyes and brown hair, cops said.
Police urged the public not to be alarmed by a large police presence in the neighborhood and to monitor their own private surveillance cameras and easily climbed structures for signs of the boy.
Cops do not believe that anyone was involved in the child’s disappearance, but are still investigating all possibilities with the assistance of New York State Police, the Albany County Sheriff’s Office, and the FBI’s Albany Office.
Anyone who runs into Nagi should call 911 and speak softly, as he may become overwhelmed.