Wayne Grandson Back With Father

John Wayne’s 15-year-old grandson, who had disappeared Tuesday morning after presumably leaving for his Sherman Oaks school, turned up safe and unharmed Thursday five hours after his father made a public plea for his return.

Anthony Wayne was reunited with his father, actor Patrick Wayne, around 3 p.m. at his grandmother’s house, about a quarter-mile from their Toluca Lake residence, said Los Angeles Police Detective Jeff Godown.

The reasons behind the boy’s disappearance were unknown, Godown said. “He’s still being interviewed by his father,” he said. “We don’t know where he went or why he left. But it’s a family matter now.”

Early Thursday, Patrick Wayne offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to his return.

Anthony Wayne, who moved from Idaho three weeks ago to live with his father, was last seen by a relative leaving his father’s home Tuesday. His parents are divorced.

The boy was driving a 1980 Volkswagen Rabbit convertible. An Idaho driver’s license enabled the youth to drive at age 15, Wayne said. Godown said Anthony Wayne drove back to Toluca Lake on Thursday afternoon, parked his car and was “wandering around” when a relative spotted him and took him to his grandmother’s.