8-year-old missing autistic boy found safe

SKOKIE, Ill. (WLS) -- A family is reunited after a frantic search a child with autism. The boy disappeared at Westfield shopping mall.

Family and friends let out a cheer after getting word 8-year-old Brooklyn Venter is safe. More than a hundred volunteers showed up to help dozens of police officers in the search for the boy, who has autism and is non-verbal. Then minutes later, with his relieved parents, he arrives.

"He was pretty startled, happy to see me and my wife," says his father, Rafael Venter.

He'd been with his mother on the playground outside the L.L. Bean store at about 1:15 p.m. She says she noticed a friend and turned her head for a couple seconds. When she turned back around, he was gone. It quickly led to a massive search of the mall and surrounding area, with no luck, until a store employee found him curled up at the top of a restricted stairwell near the roof of the L.L. Bean store.

"The store was searched," said Cmdr. David Pawlak of the Skokie police . "You wouldn't even see him."

After thanking police and the volunteers for their help, Mom, Dad and Brooklyn were off with a wave goodbye.

"He's gonna go to bed," said his father, "And get a lot of kisses."