STPSO K-9 Finds Missing 14-year-old Child with Autism

Late Tuesday (February 14) night, St. Tammany Parish deputies were dispatched to Lacombe after a 14-year-old autistic child went missing. Deputies searched for hours and then called in K-9 Freya, who is a Bavarian Mountain Hound, and her handler, Deputy Ron Olivier. K-9 Freya, who specializes in finding lost children, took the scent from the missing child’s clothes, and started searching. After approximately twenty minutes, K-9 Freya found the missing child, curled up, hiding in the woods.
The 14-year-old, although scared, was in good health. The entire search lasted about three hours. Sheriff Randy Smith says, “This potential tragic story finished with a happy ending. Our canines are amazing animals who are invaluable to our deputies and citizens.”