Watch CBS News

Boy Found After Being Locked In School Stairwell For 9 Hours

By Dray Clark

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - David Fields, 13, goes straight home from school every day and he gets home on time, every time. So when David was a no-call, no-show Thursday after school, his mother got worried.

She went to Roosevelt Middle School to look around, no David. After filing a missing person's report, she and family members went back to the school for a second search.

"They asked two janitorial ladies if they have seen David in the school at all."

By then it was dark, several hours had gone by and still no David. Then late Thursday night, family members went back for another search with school police.

That's when they heard a familiar voice.

"His dad and uncle found him in a stairwell yelling for help," his mother said.

David was stuck between two locked doors in a school stairwell.

"I walked down the steps and the door was locked and I came back up the steps and I was locked in," David said. "I was scared."

School was dismissed at 3:09 p.m., David came out of that stairwell at 12:30 a.m. It was nine hours of worry for David's mother, nine hours of lockdown for David.

"Scared, hungry, lonely, by himself, unable to go to the bathroom," his mom says the janitors never looked for her son and the school never called to ask if he was ok.

"For the school not to reach out us is inappropriate and unprofessional."

She wonders why her husband, who was outside the school, could hear the boys cries for help, but the janitors inside the building could not.

MUST SEE PHOTOS:

2011 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show
Philadelphia Soul Dance Team Tryouts
Behind-The-Scenes: 'Plus Size Fashion Show'
Santa Baby

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.