Misinformation ruled cause of missing juvenile incident
<p dir="ltr"><span>What was termed as a “runaway juvenile” incident on New Year’s Eve turned out to not be that at all, according to Sparta Police Chief Sean Lukes.</span>
<p dir="ltr"><span>The Herald Tribune received information early on New Year’s Day that 11-year-old Landyn Fath, of Sparta, was reported missing by his parents at 5 p.m. the previous evening.</span>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Fath’s name, picture and description flashed across social media, leading to hundreds of shares on Facebook. He was found safely the next day in the 600 block of South St. Louis Street.</span>
<p dir="ltr"><span>“At 11:30 a.m., we received a phone call from the juvenile’s parents and they advised us they had located him at a friend’s house,” Lukes said.</span>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Lukes also explained why Fath was reported missing.</span>
<p dir="ltr"><span>“He went over to a friend’s house to spend the night and he had given the parents of his friend the wrong information as far as where his parents knew he was,” Lukes said. “His friend’s parents saw on Facebook we were looking for (Fath) and called his parents.”</span>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Lukes also said Fath was not intending to run away.</span>
<p dir="ltr"><span>“He was planning on returning home,” he said.</span>