MEMPHIS, TN - Missing for more than 10 hours and police are still trying to piece together what happened when a midtown Memphis 5-year-old got on the wrong bus after school.
Tavien Williams was reunited with his family just after midnight Friday. Thursday was his first day riding the bus and now it's one he and his family will never forget.
Williams left Kindergarten at Carnes Elementary around 2:00 p.m. Instead of getting on the bus to his Mecca Daycare Center, he ended up on one owned by Premier Transportation. His aunt, Aria Arnold says, "His mother went to pick up her kids around 5:50 p.m. from daycare. Daycare closed at 6:00p.m. She got to the daycare to pick up her children and only 4 of them were there."
The family went on a frantic hunt to find the missing boy. It wasn't until after midnight that investigators say a man dropped him back off at Carnes Elementary. Arnold says, "A total stranger had that baby, a total stranger and we just thank God he's O.K."
According to Premier, Williams was taken to an after school ministry program but got back on the bus and fell asleep. He was found by a cleaning attendant on the bus. The timetable is still unclear. A Williams family friend says the whole situation is still suspect, "He said he was trying to get him back before anybody noticed he was gone. You kept a child until 12:00 a.m.?"
Memphis Police investigators spent the day questioning the school, daycare and Premier. Memphis City Schools said they had no comment because of the ongoing investigation. Mecca hung up when abc24.com tried to ask questions. The family, who's gone through enough trauma, didn't want to talk.
Police say the boy was unharmed, no charges have been filed. The case is still under investigation.
