National Center for Missing Children joins search for nonverbal autistic Staten Island teen missing for 10 days

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the NYPD are seeking tips in trying to find a 15-year-old boy with special needs who has been missing for more than a week from his home in Port Richmond.

The NYPD previously asked for the public's help in locating Armando Acevedo Solano who was seen leaving his home near Lexington and Palmer avenues on May 15 around 2:45 p.m. Police doubled down on their appeal by reiterating their request for information Monday. .

“Authorities believe Armando may be in Staten Island, Brooklyn or Long Island, New York, or traveling to New Jersey,” according to a statement from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC).

“The missing are nonverbal autistic,” according to an NYPD flyer seeking information posted by the 121st Precinct on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Police described Solano as about 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighing about 130 pounds, with brown eyes. He was seen on Wednesday wearing light blue jeans, a black sweater, black and white sneakers and a black backpack.

The 15-year-old boy with brown hair may have been wearing headphones and dark sunglasses, according to NCMEC.

“Armando is also featured on Ring's Neighbors app which has a partnership with NCMEC to increase awareness of missing children and bring them home,” according to the NCMEC release. “This feature reaches millions of users, providing real-time assistance in locating missing children.”

Anyone with information about Armando or his disappearance is asked to contact NCMEC at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or the 121st District Detective Team at 718-697-8712 or the line NYPD Crime Stoppers hotline at 1. -800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/or on Twitter @NYPDTips.