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OGDEN — A family was looking desperately Thursday for their teenage son who had been missing for six days after leaving an Ogden school that helps children with autism spectrum disorders and other behavioral challenges.
Taylor Daniels, 17, ran away from Waterfall Canyon Academy last Friday, school administrators said.
“It’s pretty scary that he might really be in some big trouble,” mother Amy Daniels said.
Amy and husband Steve flew from Houston on Thursday to aid in search efforts, which have included school workers and Ogden Police detectives.
Steve Daniels said the couple couldn’t “sit back in Texas and wait.”
“That’s kind of what we fear has happened — that he’s gotten into a situation that he can’t get out of,” Amy Daniels said.
The Daniels said their son has been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder and was happy and content at the academy, though he had run before.
Rich Dimick, the director of independent living and transitional living programs at Waterfall Canyon Academy, said Taylor on occasions had left the school in the past — but never alone and never for longer than 30 hours.
He's pretty adept at hiding out. But when he returns first thing he does is ask for a hug and cries and tells us how scary it was out there for him and that he'll never do it again.
–Rich Dimick, Waterfall Canyon Academy
“He’s pretty adept at hiding out,” Dimick said. “But when he returns first thing he does is ask for a hug and cries and tells us how scary it was out there for him and that he’ll never do it again.”
Dimick said the program immediately reported the disappearance to police and workers have been looking for him every day.
“That’s our biggest concern is that he is under a negative influence and just following along and hiding out and hopefully not being taken advantage of,” Dimick said.
Ogden Police have grown concerned with Taylor’s protracted disappearance.
“We’ve looked at the usual spots that we checked last time, we’re unable to locate him,” Lt. Danielle Croyle said. “We don’t believe he has any means to take care of himself.”
The Daniels also acknowledged their son did not have a cell phone or money.
They spent Thursday afternoon and evening searching parks and other locations in the Salt Lake City area and planned to go door-to-door with flyers in Ogden on Friday. They had also hired a private investigator.
Their agony has increased since the day Taylor vanished.
“Then it turned into two, then three and by that time we were just getting frantic,” Steve Daniels said.
Dimick is described as 5’6” 130 lbs. with red hair and blue eyes.
Anybody who has seen him is asked to call Ogden Police Department at 801- 737-7417.
Amy Daniels said she hopes somebody has seen her son, or that he might see the news coverage about his story.
“If he’s out there, Taylor call us,” she pleaded. “We’re here in Utah, Taylor. We came for you. Come forward. Call us. We’re here.”
