Kaunas police are searching for 10-year-old Audrius Š., who disappeared on May 28 after being dropped off at a school on Partizanų Street. Despite a history of running away, authorities have launched a pre-trial investigation as the child’s phone remains off and his current location is unknown.
The Disappearance at Partizanų Street
The disappearance began as a routine morning. A guardian drove Audrius to his school in Kaunas, expecting him to attend his classes. However, school officials later confirmed that the boy never actually entered the building. While he was dropped off at the entrance, he vanished shortly thereafter.
Digital footprints provide a narrow window into his final known movements. According to reporting from tv3.lt, phone signals place the child within the school grounds at 7:30 AM. After that point, the signal vanished, and the phone has remained switched off, cutting off the primary line of communication between the child and his guardians.
A documented history of running away
This is not the first time Audrius has vanished. As Lrytas reports, the boy has a pattern of disappearing that dates back to when he was six years old. This history suggests a complex domestic situation; the rights of both of the boy’s parents are currently restricted.
Phone records analyzed by investigators reveal that shortly before he disappeared, Audrius was in communication with his mother, his father, and his guardian. These connections are central to the current investigation, as police attempt to determine if the boy’s disappearance was a planned move toward a family member or a spontaneous act of wandering.
In previous instances of disappearance, Audrius did not stay hidden for long, often spending time in city parks before eventually surfacing.
Tracking Known Refuge Locations
Investigators are focusing on specific locations where the boy has sought refuge in the past. One primary point of interest is “Pastogė,” a children’s care facility located in the Eiguliai district of Kaunas. The facility is situated approximately 3 kilometers from the school on Partizanų Street.
Audrius previously lived at the Pastogė facility, and in past episodes of running away, he has navigated his way there late in the evening when he was unable to return to his guardian’s home in the Kaunas district. Police are also monitoring the home of his father, as he has visited there during previous disappearances.
The stakes for this specific disappearance are higher than in previous episodes. Despite his history of returning, the vulnerability of a 10-year-old in an urban environment cannot be overlooked. Police and guardians expressed deep concern that a child of his age lacks the necessary orientation skills to navigate the city safely and is susceptible to street criminals.
Multi-Pronged Search Operations
The search has transitioned from a missing person report to a formal pre-trial investigation. Authorities are currently utilizing a multi-pronged approach to locate the boy, combining physical searches with digital surveillance.
Currently, the police are carrying out operational search activities — all possible locations of the child’s stay are being checked.
Deividas Jančinskas, Prosecutor
According to the prosecutor, the search includes:
The urgency of the search is underscored by the fact that the child has been missing since Thursday, and as of Friday afternoon, no sign of him has been found.
Public Assistance and Physical Description
Public assistance is critical to the search. As detailed by LRT, the boy is described as being approximately 140 cm tall with a stocky build. He has short, light brown hair and wears prescription glasses.
At the time of his disappearance, he was wearing a black Nike tracksuit and sneakers. He may be carrying a dark green backpack.
Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts is urged to contact the Kaunas City Dainavos Police Commissioner’s office or call the emergency services number 112. As 15min.lt emphasizes, any detail, no matter how small, could be the key to locating the child.
The focus now remains on the window between 7:30 AM Thursday and the present. With the phone disabled and the child’s history of avoiding school, the investigation is a race to find him before he wanders further from his known safe havens.
