- The 12-year-old was discovered on Monday morning after being locked inside the store
- The child was a runaway whose parents had filed a missing persons report
- No charges will be brought in the case, the authorities say
An Ohio boy was discovered inside a Target by an employee after spending the night in the store alone.
The 12-year-old had been locked inside the Target at 8100 East Broad Street in Blacklick, about four miles outside of Reynoldsburg.
He was discovered by an employee around 6:15 Monday morning.
According to the Columbus Police Department, the child was a runaway whose parents had filed a missing persons report Sunday.
He was transferred to Franklin County Children Services before his parents were notified of his whereabouts.
A 12-year-old Ohio boy was discovered by a Target employee Monday morning after being locked inside the store overnight
The child was a runaway whose parents had filed a missing persons report Sunday, Columbus police said
Shopper Brian Taylor said he was surprised no one had spotted the child before he closed the store on Sunday night
The child was reunited with his family on Monday afternoon.
Target customer Brian Taylor told WCMH he was shocked that no one had found the child before the store closed for the night.
‘By the parents, by the employees, by anyone. Was he silent? Did he hide?’ Taylor said.
‘It’s terrible, terrible. I am stunned.’
The store was open and operating as normal throughout the day, and a representative for the retailer said the situation was quickly resolved.
“The well-being of our guests is our top priority,” the spokesperson said in a statement to the media.
‘Our team in Reynoldsburg, Ohio immediately contacted the police when they found this child and cared for him until authorities arrived.’
No charges will be brought in this case, the authorities say. Details of the circumstances surrounding the child’s disappearance have not been released.
