Missing 6-year-old found safe after getting lost in woods, Tennessee police say
UPDATE: Alijah Kensinger has been found safe, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation confirmed Friday, Jan. 14. The 6-year-old, who was last seen on Jan. 13, was found in the woods near his home. “He’s a little cold, but otherwise in good spirits,” authorities said.
ORIGINAL STORY: Authorities in Tennessee have issued an Amber Alert for a missing 6-year-old boy.
Alijah Kensinger was last seen Thursday, Jan. 13, in the town of Tellico Plains in Monroe County, near the North Carolina border, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Officials said Alijah was playing in the woods near his home and never returned that afternoon.
The 6-year-old was reportedly with his dog before he went missing, WVLT reported, citing officials with the Monroe County Sheriffs Office. The dog returned from the woods a short time later — but without Alijah, officials said.
“We think he’s gone in the woods, gotten turned around, possibly injured himself and couldn’t find his way back,” Detective Jason Phillyew told the news station.
Alijah is described as standing 4 feet tall and weighing 55 pounds with brown eyes and sandy brown hair, authorities said. He was last seen wearing jeans, a gray hooded jacket with a red zipper, and black and orange sneakers.
Both of Alijah’s parents have been notified, police said, according to WVLT. He was under his grandmother’s care when he went missing.
Anyone with information on Elijah’s whereabouts is asked to call the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office at 423-442-1212 or the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation at 1-800-TBI-FIND.
Tellico Plains is about 70 miles southwest of Knoxville.
This story was originally published January 14, 2022 at 9:47 AM with the headline "Missing 6-year-old found safe after getting lost in woods, Tennessee police say."