A missing child with autism who was last seen in Grimes has died.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office asked for assistance finding the 5-year-old boy at around 6 a.m. Friday, March 13. An update about a half hour later said the child had been found.
A second update from the sheriff’s office Friday morning said the child, whose name was not released, was found unresponsive in a parking lot at Southeast 11th Street and Southeast Grimes Boulevard.
Life-saving measures were taken on the scene but the child was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Initial investigation does not indicate “anything suspicious as the cause of death,” according to the news release.
The Ankeny Police Department, the Iowa State Patrol, the Johnston Police Department and the Johnston-Grimes Fire Department helped with the initial search for the boy.
“The Polk County Sheriff’s Office extends its deepest condolences to the child’s family,” the release said. “Our thoughts are with them during this unimaginable loss.”