SLO County Sheriff’s Office looking for 2 runaway middle school boys. Have you seen them?
Update: The two boys have been located and reunited with their families. Read more
Two 13-year-old boys are still missing after they skipped school and ran away from home Tuesday, the San Luis Obispo Sheriff’s Office confirmed Thursday.
According to a Facebook post by someone who identified themselves as a family friend, Preston Hanson and Mason Ellis were last seen around 6 p.m. on Tuesday by Highway 41 and Quintana Road in Morro Bay.
Hanson has shoulder-length golden blond hair and green eyes and Ellis has short brown hair with blue eyes, the photos posted on Facebook show.
Tony Cipolla, spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office, told The Tribune in an email one of the boys is from Los Osos and the other is from Morro Bay.
An email from Los Osos Middle School administration to the school community identified the boys as students and said they were believed to still be in the area.
The email also noted that the pair had no intention to harm the school or community.
According to Cipolla, rumors circulated after the boys ran away that they planned an attack upon the school. Those rumors were unfounded and there is no evidence to substantiate any threat to the school, he said.
Cipolla said because the boys skipped school and left their homes, they are classified as “voluntary runaways.”
The boys have been in contact with their parents and confirmed they are safe, Cipolla said.
They have not been located as of Thursday morning.
The Sheriff’s Office asks anyone with more information to contact them at 805-781-4550.
This story was originally published November 9, 2023 at 12:34 PM.
