SEARCY, Ark. — Where is 2-year-old Malik Drummond?
That’s the question a lot of people are asking, wondering what’s become of the youngster who reportedly walked away from his Searcy, Arkansas, home on November 23rd.
Police tell us they are actively looking for the child, but have scaled down search efforts and are focusing on what they call credible tips from the public.
But as the weeks pass, there are more people who fear the worst for Malik. Sherri Smith is one of them.
“What happened to him? Did he disappear? Was something done to him? No one knows. It’s really sad,” she said.
Her questions about Malik’s whereabouts are being voiced by many people in Searcy.
December 23rd will mark a month since the 2-year-old reportedly walked away from his home on West Park Avenue.
Searcy Police Corporal Steve Hernandez said that’s all the information investigators had to go on.
“We were told that he walked away, but we don’t know if that’s the case. That’s part of the investigation. And if he didn’t walk away, what actually did happen to him?” Hernandez said.
Hernandez said police have been treating this as a criminal investigation since day one, but added that family members who were in the home when Malik reportedly disappeared have been cooperative.
“From what I’m told, anytime detectives need to talk to them about any part of this investigation, they have been more than willing to come up here and talk to them,” Hernandez said.
For weeks, volunteers poured into Searcy to help find Malik, but we’re told search efforts have been scaled back.
Right now police are focusing on credible tips from the public and have recently sent divers into the Little Red River, about five miles from Malik’s home.
We went to Malik’s home Wednesday and were told no one wanted to talk about the missing toddler.
But one person who’s been following the story said he never thought the child simply walked away.
“No, I don’t believe none of that. I believe that somebody real close to that little boy knows what happened to him and where he’s at,” Corey Stracener said.
Hernandez wanted to dispel rumors being circulated on social media that Malik has been found. He said that’s just not true.
He also confirmed that Malik is not autistic, as was first believed when he was reported missing.
Anyone with information that can lead to locating Malik is urged to call Searcy Police at 870-268-3534.