Police Searching for Missing Autistic 6-Year-Old Fawzan Hassan in Gaithersburg

As of Sunday evening, Fawzan was still missing despite a 27-hour search by more than 100 police officers, firefighters and volunteers in and around Bohrer Park in Gaithersburg.

“We are determined to find Fawzan and bring him to safety,” Montgomery County Assistant Police Chief Nicholas Augustine said at a news conference Sunday, appealing for the public’s help.

“We’re hopeful. He could be crouched down and just scared,” said Montgomery County police Officer Laurie Reyes, who specializes in working with families of autistic children and helping find them when they go missing.

Fawzan, who weighs 19 kilos, was last seen wearing a green shirt, blue jeans and white and silver sneakers.

Bohrer Park is bordered by neighborhoods on the southwest and southeast sides, by Frederick Avenue on the northeast side, and by Gaithersburg High School on the northwest side.

Police urged residents in the area to carefully search their properties, including under porches and patios and in unlocked cars and sheds.

Officers warned people not to go near the child, as he might run away. Instead, they were told to call 911.

People with autism who go missing are often drawn to bodies of water, Reyes said. The Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service searched ponds in the area Saturday and Sunday, said Pete Piringer, a spokesman for the agency.

Officers from the Montgomery County Police Department, Gaithersburg Police Department, Maryland State Police and Maryland-National Capital Park Police assisted in the search, officials said. Drones equipped with infrared sensor technology flew over the area late into the night.

Police officers encouraged residents to print out a flyer about Fawzan’s missing child from the department’s social media pages and post it around the Gaithersburg neighborhood. In stores, Augustine said, people should check changing rooms and restrooms. People driving on the road should call police if they see a young child sitting alone.

“We are asking for everyone’s help to come together and safely locate Fawzan,” Augustine said.

The Montgomery Police Department offered the following advice when approaching nonverbal autistic children:

It is important to approach them calmly and slowly; avoid sudden movements or loud noises that might startle them. Speak in a soft, reassuring tone, even if the child does not respond verbally. Nonverbal autistic children may not respond to their name, so try to use other cues, such as visual cues or familiar objects, to get their attention.

The most important thing, the police said, is to ensure the child’s safety and wait for the police to arrive.

Further information can be found at the Autism/Intellectual Disabilities and Developmental Disorders (IDD) Department, Alzheimer’s and Dementia Outreach Unit.