2-year-old Ares Muse was reported missing after his parents realized he had left sometime in the early morning, and his body was found near the residence just hours later.
An Oklahoma toddler was found dead less than a day after he escaped his home in the middle of the night, according to officials.
Two-year-old Ares Muse was reported to have left his home between 1:30 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. on Monday, September 12, according to local reports.
An Ashanti Alert was initially released in hopes of finding the young boy, according to local outlet KTUL.
The toddler’s home was on tribal land, and Trooper Eric Foster with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol said tribal, state, federal and local agencies were involved in the search, along with first responders, according to The Kansas City Star.
Less than 12 hours later, he was found dead, more than a half mile from the home, according to KTUL.
According to local outlet KOTV, the boy’s father said Ares crawled into bed with his parents, but when they woke up he was gone.
The boy’s father told the Department of Social Services that Ares unlocked three locking mechanisms before he was able to leave the home, according to the outlet.
“We talked all day long about wanting a good outcome, and we didn’t get that,” Jason Salsman, a spokesperson for the Muscogee Nation, said in a news briefing.
“It’s unfortunate, but that doesn’t take away from the effort and from how we need to be there in our hearts and minds for this family.”
According to the reports, it is not clear how Ares died, but officials are conducting an investigation. Salsman said the family was cooperating with authorities, according to KOTV.
“We hate to be able to give news like this, it’s very unfortunate. But we do come together,” Foster said.
“And we had a lot of citizens reach out as well wanting to help, and that’s just Oklahoma and we are proud to be a part of that.”
