Berkeley police find missing boy, 6, reading in Mr. Mopps'
An officer with kids of his own found the little boy by thinking about where a child might go, BPD said in response to a Scanner inquiry.
Berkeley police found a missing child Monday in the bookstore of a popular local toy shop, authorities report.
The kindergartener grabbed some paint when he left his school in central Berkeley and proceeded to walk a mile to get to the North Berkeley toy store, police said.
Officers began looking for the 6-year-old around 2 p.m. when a teacher at Washington Elementary said she hadn't been able to find him since 1:30 p.m., according to radio traffic reviewed by The Scanner.
Berkeley police broadcast the boy's description over the radio, including his navy blue backpack with rocket ships on it, and began to search the area.
Officers scoured Washington Elementary school grounds and at least one local park in addition to the boy's home and nearby blocks, according to radio traffic.
They searched Shattuck Avenue and the downtown public library, and alerted Berkeley High to be on the lookout for him.
About 20 minutes after the teacher's report, a Berkeley police officer stopped by Mr. Mopps' Children's Books and toy store in the 1400 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Way (near Rose Street) to see if the missing boy might be there.
The officer has children of his own and tried to think of where a little boy might go, Berkeley police said in response to a Scanner inquiry.
