Officials are searching high, low and into subway tunnels that fascinate Avonte Oquendo, who walked away from his school Friday while educators were distracted.
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The family of the 14-year-old autistic boy who has been missing for nearly a week is preparing to sue the city for his disappearance.
Avonte Oquendo left the Center Boulevard School in Long Island City, Queens around lunchtime Friday, sparking an urgent search extending into the subway tunnels that fascinate the teen.
While police and his family continue looking for the boy who is unable to communicate verbally, attorney David Perecman said Wednesday he filed a notice of claim with the city on behalf of the Oquendo family — the first step toward filing a lawsuit.
The claim against the Education Department was not immediately available, but Perecman said it alleged negligence and failure to supervise, among other charges.
“They let him out without telling mom!” Perecman said.
The attorney, citing investigators, added that Avonte may have been able to leave the school when a fight in the cafeteria distracted the adults supervising him.
He then walked past a security guard, who Perecman claims allowed him to leave despite asking “Where are you going?” and getting no response.
Perecman said Avonte’s supervisors continued dropping the ball once the teen was walking the streets.
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“It was a full hour from the time Avonte left the school that they then called mom,” Perecman said.
The attorney would not specify the amount the Oquendo family will seek through the suit, only calling it “a very large sum of money.”
A police spokesman could not confirm the alleged circumstances behind Avonte’s exit from the school.
Perecman said the notice of claim had been filed with Controller John Liu’s office.
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A Liu spokeswoman said she did yet not have the document, which can take up to 48 hours to process.
Meanwhile, police continued scouring the streets and subway tunnels using search dogs, a police source said.
Beginning at about 10 a.m. Wednesday MTA officials were searching a portion of the 6 line for a missing child.
It couldn’t be confirmed the search, which caused express trains to run on the local track for roughly 90 minutes, was related to Avonte.
The law firm Mayerson & Associates also announced a $ 5,000 reward for anyone who finds and safely returns the teen.
With Pete Donohue
Yahoo Local News – New York Daily News
http://newyork.greatlocalnews.info/?p=15435
via Great Local News: New York http://newyork.greatlocalnews.info
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