Hundreds Helping in Search for Missing Autistic Menifee Boy

The search continued Monday for a missing boy with autism in Menifee, as more than 300 volunteers gathered to help with the efforts, officials tell Patch.

11-year-old Terry Dewayne Smith went missing sometime in the night after 7:30 p.m. Saturday when he went to bed, according to Riverside County sheriff's Deputy Albert Martinez.  

Deputies were called out to his home at 10:33 a.m. Sunday in the 33000 block of Helen Lane when his mom went to his room to check on him-- but he wasn't there, according to the deputy.

Crews-- including a bloodhound-- searched all day Sunday to no avail.  About a dozen deputies continued the search all night long, and more people joined the operation Monday morning.

According to Martinez, there are about 100 sheriff's volunteers on the case, and another 200 citizens-- from as far away as Yucaipa-- helping out Monday.  The sheriff's mounted posse is searching on horseback, and volunteers from the Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit are also on scene.

It's believe that boy, who has now been without necessary medication for more than a day, walked away from his home on his own.  It's not believed that he was taken.

"At this point, there's no evidence pointing that [he was taken]," Martinez told Patch.  "Right now, all we have is that he probably wandered off."

"[Investigators] did process the house yesterday and they didn't find any clues as far as any type of foul play, but they're not ruling anything out," he added.

Monday's search was focusing on a two mile radius from the Menifee home, which is mostly comprised of large dirt lots and hilly terrain, Martinez said. 

"It's not your typical city roads where everything is just flat," he said. 

Volunteers were gathering on Scott Road, just east of Murrieta, Martinez said.  Anyone who wished to help out was encouraged to bring water and stay hydrated.

Terry is blond, has blue eyes, is 4 feet 8 and weighs 76 pounds; he was last seen wearing blue basketball shorts, officials said.

Anyone with information on Terry was asked to call the Menifee Investigations Unit at 951-210-1000 or Riverside County sheriff's dispatch at 951-776-1099.