State Police: Missing 8-year-old located in Pulaski County

An 8-year-old boy whose mother lost track of him after leaving an Augusta County hotel on Sunday was later located in Pulaski County.

The boy’s mother contacted a Virginia State Police trooper at 4:19 p.m. at Exit 24 in Washington County and told the trooper that she had last seen her son when they had left their hotel in Augusta County earlier in the day.

According to a report from the state police, she had stopped at a convenience store off Interstate 81 at around 3 p.m., before returning to the interstate and continuing on her trip south.

It was not until she reached Exit 24 that she realized her son was not in the vehicle with her. She was unable to identify the convenience store/gas station or its location.

State police immediately notified local law enforcement from Augusta County to Washington County and dispatched state troopers along the 203-mile stretch of Interstate 81 to try and locate the missing boy.

Restaurants, truck stops, gas stations, convenience stores, rest areas, hotels, etc. were all checked along I-81.

At 7:05 p.m. Sunday, Virginia State Police were notified by the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office that they had received a report of a young boy fitting the missing 8-year-old’s description and confirmed that he had been safely located.

The Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office has taken the lead on the investigation into the matter.