A 7-year-old boy who had been missing for nearly two days was found alone in a wooded area late Monday afternoon, dehydrated and visibly shaken. Rescue teams located the child after a neighbor reported hearing faint cries coming from deep in the forest. The search had gripped the community, with volunteers and emergency responders working tirelessly to bring the boy home.

What stunned investigators wasn’t just the boy’s condition, but what he revealed after being rescued. According to police, the child claimed it was his own father who drove him into the woods and left him there intentionally. Authorities believe the act was premeditated, as the boy described being told to “stay still and quiet” before his father disappeared.