SAN ANTONIO — The Bexar County Sheriff's Office is asking for help finding a missing 13-year-old boy.
Officials say Jonathan Patrick De La Cruz was last seen on December 3, 2021, at 4 p.m. in the 10000 block of Paddlefish Creek. He was reportedly last seen wearing a grey Under Armour hoodie, black shorts, and white shoes.
He is also described as having brown eyes and black hair. He is 5'4" in height and weighs 100 lbs.
Family friend Wesley Ryan is worried sick about the teenager.
"Anytime a child is on the streets, it is bad news," he said.
The teen's family shared new video of the 13-year-old running out of the house. His brother, not far behind, watched him take off. Family members said De La Cruz has special needs.
"He doesn't process stuff well," Ryan said. "That is the downside. But, outside of that great kid."
De La Cruz is just one of a few children that have gone missing the last few days. The Bexar County Sheriff's office posting about the cases on social media. Some have been found. Others like De La Cruz are still gone. Sheriff Javier Salazar said there's been a recent uptick in missing children cases. He said there are several reasons like custody battles or runaways
"We know that within 48 hours 95, 96 percent of the kids that do runaway are approached by a trafficker in most cases," he said.
Important to note, it is not known if trafficking could be involved in any of the recent cases. As for De La Cruz's loved ones they just want him home.
"The longer he is on the streets, the worse it gets," Ryan said.
BCSO says those found to be harboring Jonathan may face charges for Harboring a Runaway which is a Class A Misdemeanor punishable up to 1 year in jail with a fine not to exceed $5,000; or can be charged with Interfering with Child Custody which is a State Jail Felony punishable up to 2 years in jail with a fine not to exceed $10,000.
Anyone with information on Jonathan's whereabouts is urged to contact the Bexar County Sheriff's Office at 210-335-6000 or email missingpersons@bexar.org