The boy is diagnosed with high functioning autism and has no history of running away, according to police. His brother told NBC 7 that he had not taken his medication.
During the investigation, police learned that the boy had been in communication with a woman from Northern California through a chat forum. The boy convinced the woman that he was suffering abuse and was planning to run away. The woman agreed to assist in relocating him and worked to enroll him in a program in Northern California, police said.
The woman was identified and located by police. She was cooperative with authorities and assisted in locating the boy, police said.