New Cassel teen who was missing found with family, cops say

A missing middle school student who vanished from his New Cassel home has been found with family in Montgomery in upstate Orange County, Nassau County police said Saturday night.

Amari Young, 13, had packed a bag and left his New Cassel home before dawn Monday, police said.

Unlike many missing children cases, police had no credible leads on what happened to Amari despite questioning family and friends, and visiting teen hangouts, parks and places with surveillance cameras, Kevin Smith, chief of detectives, told reporters at a news conference Friday.

Investigators scoured social media sites and used the department’s real-time intelligence center to find his friends and ask about him, he said.

“We don’t believe he hangs out with a bad crowd. We don’t believe he abuses any drugs of any sort, so this in itself makes it unusual that he’s missing,” the chief said.

His mother, Tiffany Allen, reported her son missing on Monday after noticing his black backpack and some clothes were gone. He left behind his cellphone, she said.

“I just want him to come home,” Allen said. “I just want to know that he’s safe.”