"I was not panicking as I know the roads and know he is mature enough to walk there without incident," she says.

The sheriff disagreed.

"She kept mentioning how he could have been run over, or kidnapped or 'anything' could have happened," recalls Patterson.

Even if his mother was walking there too, it's not likely going to do much to stop a car from running him over. She'd just be some extra mass to fling.

Kidnappings -- and a number of other serious crimes -- are usually done by people who are known, not random strangers.

kagis

https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/zmldiz/til_there_are_only_between_150300_kidnappings_of/

There are only between 150-300 kidnappings of children by strangers each year in the US. The other 200,000 kidnappings each year are by relatives.

Even more lopsided than I'd expected.

And as for "anything" happening, I'd imagine that "anything" could have happened at home, too.