Runaway Menifee Boy Returned Home, Now in Police Custody

Story updated at 5:50 p.m.:

A 12-year-old boy missing from his Menifee home since about 9:30 p.m. Wednesday was returned to his home this afternoon. He was classified as a runaway and was taken into police custody for questioning shortly after his return home.

Menifeee 24/7 was at the home of Nicholas Oliver Acosta in the 31000 block of Copper Terrace when a Menifee Police officer arrived and took the boy into custody. According to Deputy Albert Martinez, public information officer for the Sheriff's Department, Nicholas was taken to the station for questioning.

"He is being considered a runaway," Martinez said. "There is no evidence of a crime. We just want to bring him in to evaluate his medical condition and find out what's going on with him."

Acosta's mother, identified only by the first name Traci by a neighbor, answered the door after the police car left and said "everything is OK." Visibly upset, she confirmed Nicholas ran away from home.

A neighbor, who asked not to be identified, said the boy has run away before. She said her daughter told her he was not present at Bell Mountain Middle School today. According to police, Nicholas was found at a friend's house in Murrieta and was returned to his residence.

An earlier police report said that Nicholas takes medicine to prevent seizures and was considered "at risk" during his disappearance.