Overview
- Mateo, a nonverbal 16-year-old with Down syndrome, was reported missing on Tuesday morning and was last seen on security footage walking south from Monson with two family dogs.
- Police described Mateo as 5'3", wearing braces and wraparound glasses, and said he responds to his name.
- Officers and multiple agencies used ground search-and-rescue teams, State Police air support, and several K-9 units while Connecticut State Police and Stafford Fire joined the effort.
- Search operations ran into the night and were paused around 10:30 p.m. for crew safety and fatigue, with local police maintaining limited overnight checks.
- Authorities asked residents to check outbuildings, sheds, garages, properties, and security cameras and to avoid independent searches while teams prepare to resume systematic searching.