Boys Who Ditched School Found Safe After Massive Hunt

A massive Sheriff’ Department rescue operation, prompted by two 10-year-old boys who skipped school Monday and went hiking in the Diamond Bar foothills, ended about five hours later when deputies found one boy walking down the street and the other hiding in the bushes, authorities said.

About 40 people searched Sycamore Canyon Park for the youths, including sheriff’s deputies, officers in a helicopter, specialists from the department’s mountain rescue team and two volunteers with bloodhounds, said Lt. Alexander Yim.

The search began about 1:30 p.m., when a backpack and some clothing that was believed to belong to the boys was found in the park.

“It’s very rugged terrain at that park,” Yim said. “There’s heavy brush, dirt paths and steep foothill trails.”

The search was called off about 7:30 p.m., when the second boy was found across from Neil Armstrong Elementary School, Yim said.

“A citizen across the street reported him,” Yim said. “He was in the bushes, hiding from us.”

The other boy was found about 6:20 p.m., walking down the street in a neighborhood east of the park, Yim said.

Both boys are foster children. Their guardians reported them missing about noon after school administrators called to say they were absent.

Both boys were found within a mile of their home.