Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Missing Autistic Bronx Boy Found After He Wandered Subways For 3 Days
By
Jen Chung
Published Apr 28, 2012
Modified Apr 28, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
MyFoxNY
By
Jen Chung
Published Apr 28, 2012
Modified Apr 28, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
A 13-year-old Bronx boy who went missing on Tuesday morning was thankfully found yesterday. Ross Harrison had refused to get on a school bus and headed to a 4 train. The NYPD issued a missing person alert on Wednesday—and it turns out he spent the three days in the subway system, getting scraps of food and water from strangers.
According to MyFoxNY, Ross didn't want to go to school because of a bully—so he got on the 4 train at 183rd Street. His family posted flyers, and some people remembered seeing Ross on the subway, but didn't realize he was missing until seeing media reports later.
Ross was found yesterday early yesterday morning in Brooklyn, either on an R train or a J train, by a pair of Good Samaritans. The Post reports that when his mother saw Ross at the police precinct, Ross said, "Mommy, you mad?"
Ross survived by getting water and cake from strangers (Ross's father said, "I’m thankful to anyone who helped him") and his mother said that Ross told her he was trying to come home, "That he was walking and going inside the train and was trying to come back home." The boy told WCBS 2, "I’m running and running and running and running."
Ross' father said he was grateful to the people who found him, "It's good to know that we still have New Yorkers that care." And MyFoxNY visited the teen and revealed that they got him a GPS tracking bracelet, free of cost.
Tagged
autistic
gps tacking bracelet
missing
ross harrison
subway
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Mamdani launches new team to help NYers keep SNAP, Medicaid benefits
Nearly 1 million in the city risk losing benefits as a result of new federal restrictions.
By
Caroline Lewis
Published Oct 19, 2026 at 12:43 p.m. ET
Riders at 53rd St. station where man was fatally shot say they worry about gun violence
A 26-year-old died after being shot on the platform at the Midtown station. Commuters are rattled.
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
News
Riders at 53rd St. station where man was fatally shot say they worry about gun violence
A 26-year-old died after being shot on the platform at the Midtown station. Commuters are rattled.
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
These are the NYC neighborhoods that will get free 2-K next fall
By
Karen Yi
Early Addition: Get to know Wanda, the donkey in the Met's 'La Bohème'
By
James Ramsay
Eric Adams' NYC buildings boss Eric Ulrich heads to trial, 3 years after arrest
By
David Brand
and
Samantha Max
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .