A missing New Bedford boy has been found after a multi-agency search.

The boy was reported missing after he was last seen at the Hathaway Elementary School around 8 a.m. Friday.

Jonathan Carvalho, Community Relations Manager at New Bedford Public Schools, confirmed to WBSM News that the boy was a student at the school and that the whole incident may been caused by some confusion on the family's part.

“It seems that the family was new to New Bedford and not familiar with the fact that we have Good Friday as a holiday like many school districts in Southeastern Massachusetts do,” said Carvalho “some don’t and I think it was more on the family just not being aware that today was a holiday and sending the child to school thinking it was a regular school day.”

Carvalho says it appears that a witness saw the boy was upset and tried to talk to him to find out who he was and why he was there and that made the boy nervous.

“the reason it escalated how it did is because of the eyewitnesses who saw and talked to the boy,” said Carvalho “he kind of did the right thing in not talking to strangers and going straight home, but that causes us to obviously want to be cautious, it causes the police obviously to want to have an abundance of caution.”

School officials were able to get in touch with families who have children in the school which helped police get the child's identity and locate him.

“We were in contact with all families and were able to determine between eyewitness reports and talking to families about ‘did anyone bring their child to school, or send their child to school today’” said Carvalho “that’s how police were able to narrow it down and really determine the identity of the student and just make sure everything checked out.”

Carvalho didn’t release the boy’s name.

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