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Arizona mother demands answers after child was found wandering outside of South Phoenix school

By
Updated  April 20, 2023 6:20pm MST
Education
FOX 10 Phoenix

Arizona child found wandering outside of his school; mom demands answers

The child, 6-year-old Daniel Cruz, attends the Academy of Math and Science South Mountain in south Phoenix and is on the autism spectrum. He was allowed to leave school on the afternoon of April 19, and the boy's mother was not notified by school officials. FOX 10's Lindsey Ragas reports.

PHOENIX - A mother of a 6-year-old autistic child is demanding answers after her son was found wandering miles away from his school in south Phoenix, apparently undetected by school administrators.

Amber Gutierrez's son, Daniel Cruz, attends the Academy of Math and Science South Mountain. April 19 was an early release day for AMS South Mountain, and Daniel reportedly made his way to the front office, went out the front doors of AMS South Mountain, and began to walk home.

"There's two doors in the office. There's one to get in the office, and then there's another door that the office people have to buzz you in, and that's to keep the kids safe. [Daniel] walked out of both doors without anyone noticing," said Gutierrez.

Gutierrez was not aware that Daniel was not in school until she picked up her daughter, who asked why Daniel left school early.

"Five minutes later, I'm like, 'Are you guys going to tell me what's going on?' She tells me 'Well, I don't know if the teacher is going to come and speak to you, or if someone else is going to tell you what happened, but he's not here,'" Gutierrez recalled.

Gutierrez said she was in the front office waiting to talk to anyone from the school when she got a call from a parent.

"I'm in tears. Luckily a mother that has a daughter in his class [and] has my phone number had found him two miles down the road and called me," said Gutierrez. "I'm in tears freaking out, asking the office what is going on. I'm in there for about 30-40 minutes without anyone coming out to speak to me."

We asked Daniel where he was walking to, and he replied:

"Home, because I was - the music teacher told me to go."

A police report was filed, but Gutierrez says she hasn't been able to get an answer as to how her son was able to leave the school grounds without anybody noticing.

"I'm traumatized," said Gutierrez. "I haven't slept right. He's not only in kindergarten, but he's also [on the autism spectrum], so that alone is scary."

We have reached out to the school for comment. and the superintendent of AMS, Nate Lowry, released a statement that reads:

"Nothing is more important to AMS than the safety and well-being of our students and staff. Upon learning of the circumstances surrounding an incident reported yesterday, we began an immediate investigation, and we have already taken appropriate personnel action as a result.  We regret that this situation occurred, and we are revisiting our safety protocols to determine where the breakdown occurred so that an incident like this never happens again."