Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Asperger's Boy Lived in NY Subway 11 Days

Runaway vanished underground

By Mary Papenfuss, Newser Staff

Posted Nov 25, 2009 3:00 AM CST

(Newser) – A young boy with Asperger's syndrome lived on newsstand potato chips, jelly rolls, and bottled water for 11 days riding the trains of the New York City subway system. Francisco Hernandez Jr, 13, rode trains to the end of the line, then climbed back on another no matter where they went. He spent much of the time sleeping, his head resting on his book bag. "At some point I just stopped feeling anything,” he told the New York Times.

Hernandez vanished after he skipped a school assignment and feared recriminations from his parents. He also yanked the battery from his cell phone. Social interaction and coping with stress is difficult for him because of his syndrome, which is a form of autism. His frantic parents and police searched for days until he was spotted by a transit cop. No one spoke to him while he was on the run. “Nobody really cares about the world and about people," he said.

A runaway 13-year-old with Asperger's syndrome lived on potato chips and jelly rolls from newsstands. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

A crowded uptown F train. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

CLICK BELOW TO VOTE

50%

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

NYC Subway to Get Wireless, Cell Service

Australian company revives 3-year-old plan

(NEWSER) - A plan to bring cellphone and wireless Internet service to New York's subway is set to start after years of delay. The $200 million project was hobbled by the recession but has been made viable again by a large financial commitment from Broadcast Australia, Bloomberg reports. The firm bought a majority stake in Transit Wireless, the group of phone and construction companies that took on the contract. More»

NYC Man Moves Entire Apartment Via Subway

That's one way to ensure your friends stop speaking to you

(NEWSER) - It’s bad enough asking your friends to help you move…it’s even worse when you ask them to help you move using only the New York City subway system. Young Min, a 24-year-old former Queens resident, somehow convinced two language school friends to help him move, via subway, to the Upper West Side with belongings including a collapsible closet, an air conditioner, all his books, and a 40-pound bag of rice, reports New York magazine. More»

Zazi Pleads Guilty in NYC Subway Terror Plot

Airport shuttle driver points finger at US actions in Afghanistan

(AP) - A former Denver airport shuttle driver today admitted to a plot to bomb the New York City subways, saying he was recruited by al-Qaeda in Pakistan for a "martyrdom plan" against the US. Najibullah Zazi, 25, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction, conspiracy to commit murder in a foreign country and providing material support for a terrorist organization. He faces a life prison sentence without parole at a sentencing in June. More»

Texas Runaway Mistakenly Deported

Jakadrien Turner, now 15, still trapped in Colombia

(NEWSER) - A 14-year-old American runaway was mistakenly deported to Colombia by authorities in Texas months ago, and was only recently tracked down by a relative. The screw-up occurred when the girl gave a fake name that happened to match a 22-year-old illegal alien, and officials never bothered to confirm her identity, reports CBS News . Jakadrien Turner is African-American, didn't speak Spanish when she was shipped abroad and had no connections to Colombia. She has been working long hours as a maid in Bogata, and is now pregnant, according to the Dallas Morning News . More»

Cop Shoots NYC Subway Groper

Suspect shot as he grappled with cop on platform

(NEWSER) - A New York City subway rider accused of groping the buttocks of two teens ended up with a bullet in the lower back after grappling with an off-duty cop. The officer confronted the man at a Harlem station after two young women, a 13-year-old and an 18-year-old, said they had been groped, the New York Daily News reports. A round was discharged from the officer's weapon as he struggled with the suspect on the station platform. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Asperger's Boy Lived in NY Subway 11 Days

Runaway vanished underground

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

subway • runaway • Asperger's Syndrome • New York Subway • New York City Subway • teenager

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

NYC Subway to Get Wireless, Cell Service

Australian company revives 3-year-old plan

NYC Man Moves Entire Apartment Via Subway

That's one way to ensure your friends stop speaking to you

Zazi Pleads Guilty in NYC Subway Terror Plot

Airport shuttle driver points finger at US actions in Afghanistan

Texas Runaway Mistakenly Deported

Jakadrien Turner, now 15, still trapped in Colombia

Cop Shoots NYC Subway Groper

Suspect shot as he grappled with cop on platform

About Us

Site

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?